Melting the Ice Maiden
by zeitgeistx
Summary: A party, an accident, and a kiss. Hence begins Shizuru's adventures in surviving Tokyo... and her new job. Shiznat. AU/OOC.
1. Meeting the Ice Maiden

A/N: Well, I haven't been in a good mood these couple of days. But it turned out that writing a really random and irreverent story is the best therapy ever.

For readers who have read Red Chains, you may find that this story is _kinda different. _Anyway, it's only my second story and the first time I'm writing from a first person POV. Be gentle with me okay?

**WARNING:** This story is **AU and OOC**. I repeat, this story is **AU and OOC**.

Just like some movies which require you to leave your brains at the door, please throw all of your pre-conceived notions of the Mai Hime / Mai Otome universe out of the (browser) window before scrolling downwards. _Really._

You still here? Alright... here goes nothing!

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: Mai Hime, Mai Otome and all their characters belong to Sunrise. <strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Meeting the Ice Maiden<strong>

My god, this is boring.

I leaned against the wall and swirled the contents of my glass before taking a sip. The ice rattled against the glass. At least they served green tea here. Sapporo beer was pretty nice, but too much of it and I feel that you can throw me into the sea and I wouldn't sink. I would probably float all the way to Antarctica with no problem. Too much gas.

_Grab somebody sexy tell 'em hey  
>Give me everything tonight<br>Give me everything tonight  
>Give me everything tonight<em>

My right foot tapped to the beat. I couldn't help it; the song was too catchy. But on the other hand, the music was so loud that I didn't see how people were supposed to socialise. Well, maybe socialise in the way that you are forced to put your mouth so close to the other person's ear that you're tempted to chew them off, like what those couples were doing right in front of me. _Kinky._

I shifted my gaze over the bobbing human heads trying to catch a glimpse of my blonde friend. Nope. Nowhere to be found.

I let out another sigh. I think I've done my duty as a friend well enough. In fact, Hel—I mean Haruka should feel bad about leaving her best friend to stand around and blend into the wallpaper.

Well, to be fair, there were a couple of brave souls who decided to sidle up to make conversation. Only to find out that yours truly did not understand a shred of what they were saying. I wasn't sure whether I should be amused or embarrassed at the way they tried to gesticulate and get their point across. In the end, they give up.

They always do.

You see, I'm half-Japanese. My dad's American and my mom's Japanese. _One of the great beauties of Kyoto,_ my dad would often say. Leaving me to roll my eyes while my mom giggles like a schoolgirl. Anyway, for reasons which I'm too lazy to go into, this was the first time I was visiting Japan. And while I speak English, French, Chinese and even a smatter of Malay (of which the latter two was picked up during my time in Singapore), I speak no Japanese. Nope. Not a squeak. Unless you're referring to the konnichiwa thing. But I'm sure that that would have been part of the dictionary of words you should know unless you live on Mars.

It didn't help that I wasn't really comfortable with being stared at. I mean, to the Japanese's credit, they don't really look at you in a way like they are scrutinizing some other-world species. But there's still that _look_ I get, especially when they stare at my eyes. Yes, yes, it's supposed to be brown but sometimes depending on the angle of the light it resembles crimson. That's what I've heard from other people anyway. No, I have no idea why it's such a peculiar shade of colour. Maybe it's due to all the blood I've been drinking? _Lame._

_Excuse me  
>But I might drink a little more I should tonight<br>And I might take you home with me if I could tonight  
>And I think you should let me cause I look good tonight<br>And we might not get tomorrow_

Well that's it Hel—Haruka. You're on your own tonight. I finally lifted my head as I adjusted my shirt. I'm going to go back to your apartment and eat every damn thing you have in your fridge as punishment.

That's when I saw her.

She spun her head around quickly, making me wonder whether she had been looking at me earlier. In any case, the brief glance I had of her before the crowd closed together like the red sea was intriguing enough. Maybe because I was really bored, I actually tipped my toes and arched my neck to the side to see how she looked like over the dancing crowd.

And I nearly choked. She was... really, really hot. A walking paradox. Her hair was long and the colour of midnight, but as it cascaded down her back it shone like a silvery river. Her skin was pale yet luminous. Her features were delicate… yet sharp enough to break your heart. _Plus_, she was wearing this elegant black number that had a slit so high that it should come with a health warning (for the onlookers). Too bad the place was too dimly lit; I couldn't really see her eyes.

As I stood at the other side of the room gawking, she was approached by a man who was oozing swagger without actually moving. And I witnessed the glare she gave to said man. It was as if he was turned into an ice sculpture right away. He tried to swagger off, but with his frozen movements, it looked more like he had something stuck up his butt. It was quite funny, really.

She turned to face my direction.

I smiled a big one. Only for her to shoot a glare at me as well.

What? My charm-your-pants-off smile that I always use to get myself out of trouble has failed?

Ouch, ego bruised. But no matter, my mother had trained me so well that an ogre can breathe in my face and I would just go "pfft". I just gave her an amused look and went to set my glass down on the side table. She looked confused for a moment, to my secret satisfaction. But three seconds later, she was accosted by another person.

I decided that I should make my exit.

Ah, okay. How to get out of this humongous mansion... I couldn't believe that the place was so big and packed that I couldn't find the door. Which reminds me, I wasn't actually invited to this party. Haruka, who seemed to have been in Japan forever, had been invited and she dragged me along (literally). As a sign of protest I decided to just don a t-shirt with jeans and my scruffy shoes.

The host was this girl with fiery red hair, who was dressed in this _very, very mini_ black dress. She was reclining on a leopard-print couch when Haruka introduced me to her, surrounded by equally sexy-looking men and women. It was as if I had stumbled into Cleopatra's bedchamber. For a second I actually felt a little embarrassed for not bothering to dress up a bit. But then, she had given me an appraising look before smirking, not really in an unpleasant manner. I had to resist raising one eyebrow to say "like what you see?" I wouldn't want her to think that I'm coming on to her or something.

It sounds quite stupid, but I spent a good half an hour just wandering around the mansion, trying to understand where the hole in the wall was so that I could get out of the building. I would have thought that land was scarce in Tokyo? Why such a big mansion? But the answer was quite clear - the host "Nao" was terribly rich, and the mansion was situated on a glitzy hilltop area. Yep.

I finally managed to squeeze my way through the crowd. A door! I hurriedly opened it and stumbled out - into a garden?

"At least it's quieter here," I mumbled as I walked. Surprisingly there weren't much people around, just a few scattered here and there, and some hidden behind the bushes. I consciously averted my gaze as I walked to the edge of the garden. I most definitely did not want to know what they were doing.

The garden was set on a steep cliff overlooking Tokyo. The city lights were dazzling even though we were miles away. I closed my eyes as I leaned against the railing, feeling the gentle breeze on my face. My fingers tapped the railing erratically, while I hummed the tune I heard before stepping out of the building. What was it, "Till the World Ends" by Britney Spears? This 2012 thing is turning out to be a _great_ inspiration for songwriters.

I heard a sound and opened my eyes immediately. Maybe because where I stood offered the best view, or maybe because I was so lousy at humming that she wanted to shut me up. Surprise, surprise, there was the girl from before, standing behind me a few metres away. At that instant, I decided to call her "Ice Maiden". She totally looked like those dark-haired beauties I've seen in the games Haruka obsesses over.

For a moment she looked like something nasty exploded in her face, but the icy look quickly returned. She stood there awkwardly, as if she was admiring the scenery behind me.

I wanted to laugh. It's quite weird to admire the scenery from a position where your view is blocked by a person standing right in front of you. I decided, for the first time that night, to make conversation. Who knows, she might be interesting...

"Hey there," I said as casually as I could. Ice Maiden just raised her eyebrows at me. Smooth, Shizuru, real smooth.

I decided to try again. "It's much better here, don't you think? At least I know that I won't have hearing loss before I turn thirty."

No reaction as well. Perhaps she doesn't understand English? But I haven't seen her try to engage me at all, unlike the rest. She was just standing there, staring at me haughtily.

Bummer. I gathered that I should just get out of there before I made a fool of myself.

I gave a small shrug. "Nice meeting you anyway, Ice Maiden." I took a few steps forward and had just passed her when she said something in Japanese.

"Pardon?" I said as I took a big step back.

Big mistake. The ground that was supposed to meet my heel decided that it shall do so a few inches lower and I stumbled backwards. But not before I had blindly grabbed Ice Maiden's arm and dragged her down with me.

I felt my head hit the ground. I barely had time to wince when I felt a weight on my chest, and something soft and moist press against my lips.

When I opened my eyes, Ice Maiden was pressing her palms against the ground, lifting herself up slightly. Her face was hovering a few inches away. For goodness knows how long I stared at those emerald eyes in front of me; they were like green whirlpools sucking me in. I vaguely wondered if this was what they meant by _drowning in a person's eyes. _

Finally, a dull ache at the back of my head snapped me out of the trance.

Oh boy. The girl's sure heavy for looking so slender. Has she been working out? Well that would explain the incredibly toned arms and legs, but I digress.

The commotion caused by my clumsiness had attracted a crowd. Ice Maiden scrambled to her feet and attempted to stand in the most dignified manner. I also stood up slowly, pondering if I could sue the homeowner for negligence. If you have the money to buy such a big place, at least make sure that the ground is flat!

When I finally looked up from brushing my clothes, I saw that Ice Maiden was glaring daggers at me.

I felt rather guilty. "I'm very sorry," I said sincerely, "are you hurt?" I took a step forward, but she retreated immediately, her frown tightening.

Why is she so upset?

Then I saw her move her lips.

Oh right, we had kissed.

But it was an accident!

"I'm really sorry," I said again, mentally cursing myself for not at least remembering how to apologize in Japanese. "I—I didn't know that the ground was uneven."

She continued to stare at me with that chilly glare, and even the crowd that had gathered around us could feel the temperature drop by a few degrees. They fidgeted uneasily.

I looked around and saw my blonde friend standing in the midst of the crowd. Good job, Haruka, only turning up at this time. I shot her a look that was meant to say "come and save my ass!"

But there was no need for Haruka to rescue me as the Ice Maiden finally spoke. In a husky voice which sent shivers down my spine (though I wasn't sure whether it was in a good way or bad way).

The Japanese words flew over my head.

Lacking as I was in the Japanese linguistics department, there was one word which I managed to catch. Anyone who has tried (or has been forced by their best friend) to read or watch anything Japanese would know it.

"...idiot!"

I opened my mouth, desperately trying to find a retort, but the girl had already turned around with a swish and stormed back into the building.

"What on earth...?" I grumbled under my breath, ignoring the honey-like taste that was left on my lips. Whoever said that Japanese girls were sweet and docile!

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><p>AN: And... that's it. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

I haven't decided whether to continue this, I guess it could stand alone as a one-shot? Well, dear readers, let me know. Otherwise I'll just keep the ideas in my head (including the one where Shizuru and Haruka do cosplay...hmm...)

Just don't flame me, okay :)


	2. She's a what? !

A/N: Jet lag's a bitch. I spent two weeks in Europe, my body clock's all messed up, I need vodka to sleep, and I'm having a fever. What am I doing posting an update then? 'Cause I love y'all so much! (now I know my brain's really fried...)

Anyway, I was 90% inclined to keeping this story as a one-shot, but then I saw the reviews and didn't want to disappoint. So thanks very much everyone, I was pleasantly surprised by the warm reception, given how erm, _unconventional_ this story is. It's probably going to continue much in the same way, with all its wackiness. Oh yeah.

To the reviewers: this is for YOU.

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><p><strong><strong>Disclaimer: Mai Hime, Mai Otome and all their characters belong to Sunrise. <strong>**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: She's a what? !<strong>

"You're kidding me right?" I said in disbelief. At this point in time, there was a serious chance that my eyeballs were going to pop.

"What do you think? Do I look imposing?"

I stared at her twin peaks of awesomeness, which heaved as she talked. "Yes..." I answered dryly.

"I still think that the jacket's not tight enough..." she mumbled as she pulled the sides of her jacket. The twin peaks looked like they were about to erupt anytime.

I covered my eyes in horror. "Stop tugging at your jacket, Haruka, otherwise I'm going get you for sexual harassment!"

"If you want to do something, you have to do it with a bomb!"

I tried not to roll my eyes. "It's aplomb, Haruka." Seriously, has spending so much time in Japan weakened your grasp of the English language?

I should probably explain a little here. Meet Helen Armitage, also known as Haruka Suzushiro. Japanophile, anime addict, cosplay fanatic. Who happens to be my best friend.

Haruka was so besotted with all things Japanese that she decided she had to get a Japanese name. It didn't matter that she was British and had blonde hair. In fact it was all for the better – she didn't have to wear wigs while doing cosplay.

Presently she stood in front of me, wearing a dark green military-style jacket over a skimpy white waistcoat. She looked just like one of those characters in that anime she has been hooked on for the past week. What was it called? My Auto May? Weird name.

"I think 'a bomb' sounds better," she sniffed.

"Anyway, here's yours!" she said as a set of clothes magically appeared in front of me.

My eyeballs bulged again. What is this? "I never said I was going to join you!"

"Wear it."

"I refuse."

"Then I'll make you."

I snorted in reply. As if!

Fifteen minutes later, I was dressed in the costume which Haruka had gotten me. What choice did I have, I was living in her apartment. And the laws of nature dictated that you're at the mercy of your landlord (especially when you're staying for free).

I stood in front of the mirror, turning this way and that to look at the lilac long-sleeved-dress-thingy I was wearing. At least I wasn't showing off some body part which I had no intention to share with the world.

"You look exactly like the deputy headmistress."

Ah, great. I look like a two-dimensional character.

"And what's our relationship?"

"Well... We're basically rivals..." Her voice trailed off.

I quirked an eyebrow. "I trash you every time huh?"

Haruka merely folded her arms and huffed. I sniggered. Talk about art imitating life.

I shan't say too much about what happened thereafter, except that we were practically mobbed at the cosplay convention. I spent the entire afternoon posing for pictures with a frozen smile on my face. The only thing missing was me waving while saying "world peace!"

"Urgh, my poor feet." I collapsed into the large cushy sofa at the corner of the cafe.

Haruka rolled her eyes while her friend, Yukino, merely smiled.

Haruka met Yukino at one of her cosplay events, and the latter became one of her closest friends in Japan. I won't say I know Yukino very well, since I've only been in Tokyo for a grand total of 10 days, but she's polite, considerate, and somewhat shy. I like her.

Though more than that, I like the funny reaction I get from Haruka whenever I tease _Yukino-san_.

"What would you like to have, Fujino-san?"

"Aww Yukino, please call me Shizuru!" I wrapped one arm around her shoulder. "I'll have whatever you are having." Couple that with a mischievous grin and...

"Shi-zu-ru!" Haruka's face was even redder than the supposed victim.

Geez, Haruka.

"I'm just being friendly. Right, Yukino?"

Yukino just nodded her head bashfully before scurrying off to make the orders.

Haruka shot me another look of admonishment, but she quickly regained her merry mood.

"So, have you managed to contact your cousin yet?"

I groaned. The reason why I'm in Japan? To get my dear cousin to move back to the States in time to attend her mother's wedding – or to put it more accurately, her mother's wedding to her new stepdad.

Of course, I'm fully aware that that's only part of the reason why my mom decided that I should spend my summer vacation in Japan.

One lazy Sunday afternoon, my mom decided to "sit me down". And I knew it. The current hot topic: Shizuru's social life (or the lack thereof).

"Darling…"

Oh dear. It's never anything good when she uses the D-word.

"I need you to go to Japan to get your cousin back in time for the wedding…"

"At the same time, it'll be nice if you can get in touch with your roots..."

"Make more friends..."

Alright. So I don't really have many friends. I blame it on my parents though. As my dad's a bohemian artist of sorts we've been moving from place to place all my life. We've never stopped long enough for me to get to know people better, and eventually I didn't even want to try. Haruka's my best friend only because she literally stormed her way into my heart, like she was laying siege to a castle. That is, of course, another story for another time.

"Who knows, you might finally meet that person of your dreams."

At this point I noted my mom didn't even confine said person to the opposite sex. I guess she was really getting desperate.

I haven't been in a single relationship before, even though I was already in university. No giddy spells, no chest aches, no little butterflies treating my stomach as a garden. Nope, nothing, nada. My mom claims that I'm too "detached", but I really don't think it's a big deal? I'm perfectly happy with the way life is right now.

Back to my conversation with Haruka.

"I finally managed to get hold of her yesterday."

"Really?" Haruka appeared surprised. Well, I can't blame her. My dear cousin has been avoiding me like the plague and refusing to take my calls. Even when I tried to throw her off the scent by using Haruka's phone – she hung up on me.

"Well, you know, you can run but you can't hide from Shizuru Fujino…" I winked at Haruka as I related the following tale to her.

Basically, I had made my way to TV Tokyo's studio. I heard that my cousin was working there as assistant producer or something.

A benefit of looking like a foreigner is that you can pretend that you don't understand what was being said (although in my case, I did have no idea what was said). I went up to the guards and mumbled that I needed to use the washroom and scooted off before they could stop me. Other times I told them that I lost my dog, my cat, my grandmother, or all of the above inside the studio and came to collect them. I know I know, it wasn't very nice on my part, but it was rather amusing to see the look of utter confusion on their faces.

After meandering around the labyrinth of the studio for ages, I finally came to a room. It didn't matter that there were loads of other people there; at last I had found the person I had travelled all the way to Japan for.

"Tomoe Marguerite!"

My dear cousin spun around. Oh come on, even if you didn't want to see me, you didn't have to scream and sprint off like you just ran into a headless ghost! I quickly grabbed her by the arm.

"I. Need. To. Talk. To. You!"

Oh yes we had so much to talk about. I mentally noted that I should ask about her hair. The way it was cut asymmetrically was pretty cool, but what's with the teal colour?

"Look, Tomoe... Aunt Marguerite really, really wants you to be present at the wedding..." Not to mention that my own mother will make sashimi out of me if I fail in my mission.

But before I could launch into my thesis on why she should come back with me, Tomoe let out a dramatic sigh. "That's not it, Shizuru…"

I raised one eyebrow. What is she playing at now?

"Well, uh... I owe my landlord rent..."

I frowned. "How much?"

She stuck out five digits.

"Fifty thousand yen?" Okay, that shouldn't be _too _much of a problem. But she shook her head and gestured again with her hand.

"Fifty-five thousand yen?" Another shake of the head plus a "duh" look.

"Five hundred thousand yen."

"Five hundred thousand yen?" Was she living in a palace or something? !

My dear cousin simply shrugged her petite shoulders. "Rent's high here."

I leaned against the wall and massaged my nose bridge. What on earth did I do to deserve this?

"Were you my jilted lover in one of my past lives seeking revenge?" I could totally see it. I had probably slept with her and then dumped her. And stole her bed sheets while I was at it.

She put on an innocent look. "I can't help it..."

The wedding's in two month's time! How was I supposed to find that much money in the meantime? I guess I could get it from either my or Tomoe's parents, but I wouldn't want to get her into trouble. Because she's my _dear cousin_.

Oh god. That means I would need to get a job.

While I was talking to Tomoe there was this guy who kept looking at me. He was rather short and stout, with a mustache that reminded me of the titular character in Super Mario. Anyway, Mario who had been staring at me earlier took the opportunity to pull Tomoe aside and whispered to her in Japanese. I was kind of annoyed at the way he stole glances at me throughout the conversation, his mustache quivering with excitement. It was quite creepy. At last, Tomoe spoke to me in English.

"That's the Director of J-Talents. He has a proposal for you."

"He's offering you a job, as a personal assistant for one of his artistes."

I looked at Tomoe suspiciously. "But I don't even speak Japanese."

"Well, he's not concerned with that. Said he's hiring you because there's an artiste that he wants to break into the US market."

Tomoe fell silent, but Mario prodded her in the arm, and she continued reluctantly. "He's willing to pay you three hundred thousand yen a month."

Hmm. That means I should have more or less enough in about two months.

I glanced at Tomoe, who was wearing a smirk on her face. She obviously thought that I wouldn't accept the offer.

Well, most people would have found my decision unbelievable, but disregarding the threat of bodily harm from my mom, I too wanted Tomoe to be present at the wedding. She and my aunt have been estranged for far too long.

"What are the terms?" I asked. And I tried my best not to chuckle when I saw the crestfallen look on Tomoe's face.

"Are you serious? Mr Tanaka offered you a job?" Haruka was so agitated she had risen halfway from her seat. Yukino, who had by this time returned with steaming cups of beverages, pulled her gently by the arm to sit down.

"You know that guy?"

"Of course! He's the owner of the biggest talent agency in Japan!"

"Okay..." I wondered how Haruka knew such things.

"So have you signed the agreement?"

"Yeah..."

Haruka had a look of absolute shock on her face.

"Hey, I did consider the terms before I signed the contract."

My duty, essentially, is to assist the manager. That means running errands and accompanying the artiste to his or her performances or appearances. Nothing too drastic, really.

"I'm not an _idiot_, you know." I rolled my eyes and leaned back against the sofa.

Haruka's expression turned into a smirk. "Someone's still sulking, I see."

I folded my arms. "I'm not."

I sat in that position for three seconds before unfolding my arms irritably. "I mean, it's an accident! I already apologized!"

"Stupid Ice Maiden..." I grumbled in a lower voice.

Unfortunately, Haruka heard me. "Ice Maiden?"

"Yeah, yeah. You know those RPGs you like to play? She totally looks like those sorceress types who cast cold spells. In fact, I think she shoots icicles from her eyes!"

Haruka burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" I reached for my drink, feeling quite annoyed. I'm the victim here you know!

Trust Yukino to be nice enough to explain things to me.

"Oh. Kuga-san is one of the biggest stars in Japan now. She's known as the 'Ice Princess' actually."

Right on cue, a bus stopped right in front of the cafe. The dark-haired girl in the advertisement held a cup of coffee languidly as she peered out of the poster, her emerald orbs threatening to burn a hole in my head.

Crap. I think my macha latte just went down the wrong tube.

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><p>AN: ... and we're done!

Owing to the sad fact of life (i.e. work) I'll be continuing this story only if people are interested in reading. So it's going to be you demand, I supply. Welcome to the world of economics! :D

Lastly, I'm terribly sorry if you had previously clicked on my profile and was greeted by a white wall. I've finally put something in. Have a good night/day!


	3. Let the fun begin

A/N: I don't know how many of you guys have watched Transformers, and I don't know why I'm saying this, but... Michael Bay! I demand the return of my youth - all 2hrs 32mins of it! (cries into a hanky)

Ahem. On a less nonsensical note, a big thank you to the reviewers. Once again, this piece is for YOU.

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><p><strong><strong><strong>Disclaimer: Mai Hime, Mai Otome and all their characters belong to Sunrise. <strong>****

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: Let the fun begin <strong>

"Haruka," I called as I opened the door, "I'm going off to work."

My best friend staggered out of her bedroom, her blonde hair so messed up a family of birds could nest in it.

"Ohh—kaa—yyy…" She yawned.

"And Shizuru…"

I paused in my steps and turned around. "Yeah?"

"Try to make some friends okay?"

I frowned.

"Did my mom pay you or something?"

"No, why?" Haruka appeared genuinely confused. I guess it has nothing to do with her then.

"Nothing," I said with a shrug.

Haruka had a suspicious look on her face but she decided to continue anyway. "I'm serious, Shizuru. You're still the same after all these years."

I exhaled heavily.

Remember I said that I don't have many friends because my family was always moving around? Well... that wasn't really the reason why. At least not in the beginning.

I don't really like to talk about it, but you can say that my early school days were a little rough. You see, I was rather awkward-looking as a kid. Coming from a mixed parentage, I neither fit the conventional image of an American nor a Japanese. My eyes were too big, my face was too thin, my mouth was too small, yada yada... And it seemed that looks played a huge part in the popularity contest.

So, I didn't have any friends simply because nobody wanted to be mine.

While moving from school to school, I would count myself lucky if no one decided to pick on me. As time passed, making friends just steadily dropped in importance under the "Things To Do" section until it didn't matter at all.

But sometime between my twelve and thirteenth birthdays, I don't know, the Kyoto gene from my mom kicked in?

Suddenly I wasn't the nerdy alien from outer space but an "exotic beauty". Please don't think I like the label though, it makes me feel like part of the special exhibition at the zoo.

I don't get it. When I look into the mirror, it's still the same me as my gangly little self ten years ago.

The one incident that really got the ball rolling is when I was fifteen and studying in Singapore. We had "Racial Harmony Day", which basically required the students to dress up in their ethnic costume. Thanks to my Japanese name (though my dad's American – I will explain this in the future), I was asked to don a kimono for the day. Oh boy, did I not know what I was getting into. Suddenly everyone had this image of me being this traditional, graceful Japanese girl. And it got stuck. _Everywhere I went._

Then I started having more and more random people approach me at random times.

Believe it or not, the conversations would usually go this way:

"Umm, Shizuru Fujino?"

I held back a groan. Not again. But mommy says I have to be polite, so well.

"Yes?"

"I—I... Is Shizuru or Fujino your surname?"

"Fujino's my surname."

"So you're called Shizuru?"

No, I'm called Conan the Barbarian but you can just call me Conan. By this time I would be too lazy to respond and would just nod, albeit politely.

"D—do you make tea?"

Sure, you just toss the teabag in and add water.

"I guess."

"Wow." And said person's eyes will be shiny with I'm not sure what.

"Are you also going to ask whether I practise martial arts because you're right I actually trained as a ninja with the Ninja Turtles?" I muttered under my breath.

"Huh?"

"Ah, sorry, I just remembered that I've an errand to run. So, please excuse me."

At which point I would flash Shizuru's charming/dazzling/megawatt smile (depending on how irritated I was) and said person would float off with a dreamy smile on his or her face.

"I'm friendly to Yukino, am I not?"

Haruka rolled her eyes. "That's the problem, you veer between extreme indifference and extreme flirting!"

I huffed. That's not true Haruka, I'm not flirting with Yukino. I'm just teasing you.

"Shizuru, don't keep people away from the real you."

"They're happy with what they see anyway," I said evenly. What I've learned through all these years is that most people are only interested in what's on the outside. And somehow they have this idealized image of me being this gentle, elegant girl who sips tea and will be easily blown away by a gust of wind. I haven't met anyone (save for Haruka and maybe two others) who's vaguely interested in what I really am. "I'm sure they prefer that to the real me."

Haruka knitted her brows and took a step forward, causing me to retreat instinctively.

"This _real you_," she poked me gently on the shoulder, "this boisterous, annoying, sarcastic you – is a lot more charming to me."

I couldn't help but smile. This is why Haruka's my best friend.

And the smile remained on my face even as I boarded the train and travelled to the J-Talents office in Shibuya.

I was a little nervous as I sat in the waiting area. This was, after all, my first full-time job. I checked my reflection in the huge mirror hanging on the wall and adjusted my maroon cardigan. I guess I look presentable. A few days earlier I had received a call from the manager whom I'll be assisting. I was rather relieved that she could speak some English, even though it was heavily accented. She told me to meet her in the office, and emphasized that I should "be comfortable dress" as I will "move a lot around" (those were her words, not mine). Thus my outfit consisted of a pair of black skinny jeans, a beige shirt and a cardigan.

"Ah, Fujino-san?"

I looked up to see the receptionist smiling at me. She gestured at the manager's room.

"Thank you," I replied with a grin. At least I've learned how to say that in Japanese.

I walked towards the door, took a deep breath, and opened it.

"Welcome, Shizuru!"

I was momentarily stunned. A girl—I mean a lady was sitting in the manager's chair. But she looked like she was hardly a day over seventeen? On the other hand, I noticed that she had decided to call me by my first name. Good, I like that.

"I'm Midori Sugiura, and I'm the manager!"

"Pleased to meet you," I said. I didn't know whether I should shake her hand or bow, so I decided to do both. Midori laughed and said something that sounded like "Hawaii".

We sat down and she proceeded to explain my duties. It was like I expected: running errands, accompanying the artistes – essentially ensuring that what needs to be done is done.

As she seemed like a really nice person, I gradually relaxed and my eyes started to take in the décor of the room. It was simply furnished, though the walls were covered with posters of various artistes. Oh wait… are those empty beer bottles I see under her desk? I didn't have the time to take a proper look however, as she had stood up and led me by the arm outside the room.

"Though you are under me, you will be personal assistant for one artiste."

"I will bring you to see her now."

On our way out, Midori stopped to speak to the receptionist for a short while. By the time we reached the ground floor there was a black van with tinted windows waiting for us.

"This is our company's van," Midori explained, "we ferry the artistes around in them."

That makes sense. You don't expect them to travel by public transport, do you?

"So how many vans does the company have?"

"Fifteen."

I nearly choked. "Fifteen?"

"Yeah," Midori replied merrily, "we have, uh, around thirty artistes. Five of them have their own vans, and the others share the remaining vans."

Haruka was right, J-Talents _is _the biggest talent agency.

"And we're going to…?"

"We're going to TV Tokyo's studio. We are filming a show there today."

Woah, I get to see a live filming of a show? I have to admit, I was getting rather excited about my job.

After a twenty minutes drive we arrived outside the building. Thankfully the guards waved us through on seeing Midori; I was a little afraid that they would recognize me as that crazy foreigner who had barged in a week ago.

Having cleared security, we soon came to a studio. The walls of the studio were painted black, and in the middle of the studio stood a set made to resemble the interior of someone's apartment. A number of spotlights from above lit up the set, while cameras pointed towards it from three different positions.

The place was a hive of activity as people scurried around getting ready for the day. Some were busy arranging the props on the set while others were speaking animatedly into the microphones attached to their headphones. In short, it was just like the movies (or what the movies show what it's like to make a movie). Anyone looking at me now would probably see an expression of _slight _interest on my face, but inside I was squealing "so coooooooooool!"

We walked towards the right of the set, where there was a bunch of people crowding around. My eyes widened in surprise when I saw the girl at the epicenter of the whirlwind of movement.

Isn't that the host of the party?

"This is Nao, she's from our agency." Midori beamed proudly. "She's very talented."

Cleopatra-reborn sat in the sultriest position possible while her slaves—I mean the crew—tried to do her hair, her makeup and her nails all at the same time. She extended her hand slowly towards me.

"Hello," the redhead purred in perfect English, "we meet again."

"Indeed." I gave the warmest smile I could muster as I reached out to shake her hand. "I'm pleased to be working with you."

Nao gave my hand a squeeze and winked at me coyly. I gulped.

"Oh," Midori chuckled, "you are not Nao's personal assistant. We're still waiting for her."

Nao flicked her wrist dismissively. "She's _always _late."

Out of the blue a thought struck me. The party. What Haruka said last week. A fleeting glimpse of one of the posters in Midori's office…

I'm not _that _unlucky, right? Right?

"She's here!"

Crap. I _am _that unlucky.

She walked, no, she _strutted _into the studio with a white tank top and a pair of skintight jeans that showed off every curve in her body. Her skin was as luminous as I remembered, and her long, silky black hair swept from side to side with every step she took. I could almost hear the collective gasp in the room. Guess how many people will be having _Teenage Dreams _tonight?

"Natsuki!" Midori called.

I flinched. I was quite certain that Ice Maiden would not take kindly to my appointment. At least, based on her attempts to transport me back to the Ice Age at our last meeting. But I've signed the contract and I _need_ the money (no thanks to my dear cousin).

"This is Shizuru Fujino, your new assistant."

Well, here goes nothing.

"Hello." I tried my best to keep my tone neutral.

Ice Maiden decided to demonstrate how a human traffic light looked like. As she stared at me, her face turned green, then orange, then red. Finally she turned to Midori and sputtered something in Japanese.

I twiddled my fingers. Man oh man. I'm probably about to set the record for the fastest time in getting and losing a job.

To my surprise, Midori merely shrugged her shoulders and said something that left Ice Maiden speechless.

She opened and closed her mouth several times but not a single word came out of her. The situation was so comical that I had to stifle a guffaw. I shifted my gaze awkwardly. Is that Nao snickering in the corner of the studio?

_Finally_ our icy lady here snapped out of her stupor, and spoke with gritted teeth. I didn't understand what she was saying, but her body language told me that it probably went along the lines of "Fine! But it doesn't mean that I have to like it!"

Ice Maiden folded her arms and glared at me, as if challenging me to a duel to death. I resisted letting out a sigh. She's probably going to give me a hard time.

I've never seen myself as a confrontational sort of person, but… if you think that I would quit just because someone eyeballed me, then you're dead wrong.

I quirked an eyebrow and grinned.

"It's a small world, Ice Maiden."

Hang on tight, 'cause it's going to be a wild, wild ride.

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><p>AN: Law of economics continues to apply. Have a great week ahead everyone! :)


	4. I'm a thief

A/N: Greetings, earthlings. It is my great pleasure to present to you the next installment of Melting the Ice Maiden. Due to a persistent lack of quality sleep, my sanity is extremely suspect.

Reviewers, reviewers. This is for YOU.

* * *

><p><strong><strong>Disclaimer: Mai Hime, Mai Otome and all their characters belong to Sunrise. <strong>**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4:<strong>** I'm a thief **

I drummed my fingers impatiently against my thigh as I listened to the dial tone.

Come on, woman, pick up the phone.

"Hello?"

Finally! I put on my best imitation of the British accent and my gruffest voice.

"May I speak to Ms Helen Armitage please?"

Haruka switched to English immediately. "Yes, speaking?"

"This is Chief Inspector Barnaby from the Scotland Yard. Ms Armitage, are you aware that there are some pictures of you circulating on the internet?"

"P—pictures?"

"Yes ma'am."

I could tell that my blonde friend had stopped breathing.

"I am afraid to inform you that several members of the public have been admitted to the mental institution after seeing these pictures – in which you were prancing around as Sailor Moon."

"Wha—"

It was so funny that I couldn't stop myself from letting out a chuckle.

"SHIZURU FUJINO!"

"Ow, Haruka, not so loud!" I jerked the phone away from my ear, but it was too late. "I think my eardrum just burst…"

"Serves you right! And what the hell are you doing calling me at this time? Aren't you supposed to be working?"

I sighed. "They're at it again, Haruka. Filming's stopped for the time being."

"Again? What's it about this time?"

"I don't know, I don't understand what they're saying."

That's right. Welcome to War of the Worlds, episode 35, starring Cleopatra and Ice Maiden. Not the show we're actually filming, but featuring the same two actresses.

What I've quickly learned over the last few days was that those two could never get past filming a scene without bickering, which would in turn always escalate into a full blown armed conflict. I've long lost count of the number of times we've had to stop work because bombs were detonating, the ground was shaking, and bullets were flying left, right and center.

So anyway, here I was, sitting in the stairwell in a bid to escape from the warzone.

I heard a sound and turned. The door to the stairwell was open and a girl had poked her head through the gap.

"Umm, Shizuru? Kuga-san is looking for you."

Crap. What is it now?

"Thanks, Erstin."

I put the phone back against my ear. "I've been summoned by her royal highness. Talk to you later."

"Sure thing. Have fun, Shizuru," Haruka said blithely.

"Shut up. Bye!"

I stood up and smiled at the girl standing at the door. Erstin was Nao's personal assistant. She's also a real sweet kid, and we got along pretty well. Like Nao, she spoke impeccable English. Unfortunately for her though, that meant that she was automatically thrown the task of acting as the go-between Ice Maiden and I.

"So is the war over?" I asked as I followed her back into the studio.

Erstin giggled. "Temporary ceasefire."

I rolled my eyes.

The studio was half-empty. It seemed that the crew has decided to break for lunch. Cleopatra and Ice Maiden stood stiffly a distance apart, each of them glaring in opposite directions at nothing in particular. The few souls who were brave (read: foolhardy) enough to remain on the set were literally tiptoeing around them as they went about their businesses, as if afraid that the landmines would be set off at any moment.

I felt increasingly apprehensive as I approached Ice Maiden. What can I say? From day one, the blasted woman had seemed bent on making life hell for me. Just to quote some examples:

Round One…

Erstin tapped me on the shoulder. "Shizuru?"

"Yes?"

"Kuga-san wants ramen for lunch. But she wants them from a particular shop."

"Okay," I said as I gingerly placed the enormous pile of scripts I was carrying on the table. "Where is the shop?"

"Umm… the shop is rather far away. It is actually in a small town outside Tokyo."

I raised my eyebrows. "I see. Can I get Sakomizu to give me a ride there then?"

"Ah, Shizuru, I'm sorry…" Erstin looked at me apologetically. "The vans are used only by the artistes, so you'll have to make your own way there."

She then took out a gigantic map to point out the place to me. As she rattled on with the directions, my eyebrows reached dangerous heights.

A two-hour train ride, a thirty minutes bus ride _plus_ a hike through the countryside just because she wants to eat ramen?

And that's just one-way!

I glanced at culprit, who was barely concealing the smirk on her face.

_Ice Maiden 1, Shizuru 0_

Round Two…

"Here you go," I said as I passed the noodles over to Erstin. My poor posterior was still numb from the long and bumpy rides which I had to endure.

"Thanks!"

"Ah…" The girl wore a perplexed expression as she rummaged through the bag. "Shizuru?"

"Yes?"

"Where are the chopsticks?"

I mouthed a big "oh" as I slapped my forehead dramatically. "_Dear, dear me_. I forgot all about the chopsticks."

I then picked up two plastic spoons from the bag and wedged them between my fingers, like one would hold a pair of chopsticks. I grinned.

"But, you know, I've two spoons here, so she can make do with them?" I said cheerfully.

I could almost see the smoke drift out from Ice Maiden's ears.

_Shizuru 1, Ice Maiden 1_

Round Three…

"Ramen again?"

Erstin nodded her head.

"Alright, ramen coming up," I checked my watch, "in about five hours."

"Shizuru, she wants it from a different shop this time."

I raised an eyebrow. "What? Wait, let me guess, Siberia? Please tell her to pre-order a month in advance."

Erstin chuckled softly.

"It's much nearer this time. At Asakusa actually."

"Really?" I looked at her suspiciously.

But I had no choice. Orders are orders after all.

"What on earth..." I slumped against the door. I had actually made it back alive.

"Shizuru, are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm okay, except that I was nearly mauled by a cat wielding a huge wooden sword!"

My instincts were absolutely right about the new restaurant. It was even worse than the first. On reaching the shop, I was greeted by an extremely enthusiastic cook and her young friend. The latter, who reminded me of a black cat on a sugar high, immediately brandished her wooden sword and yelled that she had to protect her "ramen source". Then, when I had finally made peace with her (breaking several bowls in the process), she decided that she loved me so much that she clung on to me like a baby koala bear and simply refused to let go, while her orange-haired owner just smiled at me sympathetically.

Time I took: 6 hours.

I heard a snort behind me. No prize for guessing who it was.

_Ice Maiden 2, Shizuru 1_

Well, you get the idea. It's round eleven now and I'm currently in the lead. And as you can imagine, I'm _so_ absolutely looking forward to what she had planned this time round.

Erstin began, "Kuga-san would like you to—"

Nao cut in immediately. "She wants you to buy a pregnancy test kit for her."

Ice Maiden let out a loud protest in Japanese. Before stopping herself mid-sentence and covering her mouth.

I was stunned. "You... You understood her?"

Nao smirked. "That's right. Kuga understands some English. Not as well as me, of course."

I narrowed my eyes. All this time she understood what I was saying? All this time poor Erstin had to act as our intermediary when she understood what I was saying?

All this time she was making me act like a fool?

It took whatever zen-ness I had in my DNA to restrain myself from choking the life out of her.

Breathe, Shizuru, breathe.

I counted from one to ten before looking up at the girl. Her emerald eyes were swirling with emotions. Was it guilt? Embarrassment? I didn't give a damn.

"Please excuse me, Kuga-san, while I grab the _pregnancy test kit_."

With that, I turned and left the studio.

"She's driving me nuts!" I complained for the umpteenth time that evening.

I turned to face my cousin, who had decided to drop by Haruka's apartment for a visit. "And it's all your fault!"

Tomoe's eyes widened. "My fault? I didn't ask you to pay off my rent for me!"

"I don't care!" I huffed. Yes, I can be a_ little_ unreasonable when I'm annoyed.

I shifted irritably on the couch and hugged a cushion. "It was just an accident! Why is she behaving like I committed some heinous crime?"

"Well…" Tomoe pressed her palm to her cheek thoughtfully.

I sensed something in her voice. "What is it?"

Tomoe leaned towards me and lowered her voice. "I heard from Nao that Kuga-san is pissed because…"

She grinned and announced loudly. "You stole her first kiss."

I sat bolt upright. "What? !"

For once I fumbled for the words. "Wh—what do you mean her first kiss? Isn't she an actress? W—won't she have those, you know, smoochy scenes already?"

I snapped my head towards my best friend on the opposite couch, who looked like she was suffering from seizure. "And you! Stop laughing!"

"Ah-ha! That's where you're wrong. The Ice Princess is famous for refusing to do any kissing scenes." Tomoe wore a smug expression as she folded her arms.

"B—but! It's still an accident!" It was my first kiss too, alright, but do I look like I'm on a murderous rampage?

"She was of the impression that you were a fangirl up to no good."

Me? A fangirl? Okay, now_ that's_ insulting.

"Why the heck would I make myself trip just so that I could kiss her?" The idea's plain ridiculous!

"Ah-ha. Wrong again. Plenty of others have tried the same trick before."

"But congratulations, Shizuru, you're the only one who succeeded."

I collapsed back onto the couch and covered my face with my hands. "Oh my god, so this is what the whole thing is about? She thinks that I'm working as her personal assistant because I'm some moronic fangirl trying to get close to her?"

Tomoe shrugged. "Maybe."

I lay on the couch, buried under a mountain of cushions. At the back of my mind, I was rather relieved that Tomoe seemed okay about the whole fracas. For a period of time, she was, erm, a little obsessed about me. At least now she's not threatening to lay waste to everyone in the area.

Ah, what am I thinking? The issue at hand is that creature called Natsuki Kuga. I lay motionlessly for about five minutes before I finally sat up with a jolt.

This has to stop.

"Haruka!"

My blonde friend looked frightened. Perhaps it's because I had a maniacal glint in my eyes.

"I need your help."

The next day came and went quickly. Surprisingly I wasn't sent on any errands. Maybe Ice Maiden was afraid that I would actually explode in her face. When filming wrapped up for the day, I trailed her back to her dressing room and jammed my foot in the door.

"We need to talk."

Ice Maiden eyed me warily, as if she's going to execute some crazy kungfu move to throw me out of her room. I exhaled heavily. Geez, it was not like I was going to assault her.

I fished out a piece of paper from my jeans pocket and unfolded it. I had asked Haruka to translate what I wanted to say in Japanese, just so that Ice Maiden could understand me once and for all. I read out from the paper, or at least what it was supposed to read.

"I'm not your fangirl. I repeat, I am _not_ your fangirl. What happened at the party was just an accident. I took on this job in a moment of pure stupidity but as far-fetched as that sounds, no, you are not responsible for it."

"That's all." I stuffed the paper back into my pocket and strode out of the room. Ice Maiden had a rather peculiar expression on her face when I left.

Now, I can only hope that Haruka did not play a prank on me by altering the words to read something dumb like "I love you deep, deep and I want to make babies with you."

Or did she?

* * *

><p>AN: DCI Barnaby is a character from Midsomer Murders, which is one of my mom's favourite shows. I used to go around the house saying "I am Chief Inspector Baaarrrrrnnnnaaaaabbbeeeeee" with an exaggerated accent just to annoy her. Oh, joy.

Once again, the law of economics applies.

Goodnight everyone! :)


	5. Rain, rain, go away

A/N: Good evening. I've somehow gotten into the habit of posting my updates while my forehead is burning up.

And for some reason I feel that LadyHawke describes my situation rather appropriately:

_Still hanging on (for what)_  
><em>Can't operate (fired up)<em>  
><em>I won't eat and I won't sleep for you yeah<em>  
><em>No rest till I (get through)<em>  
><em>'Cause I'm holding out (for you)<em>  
><em>Am I the only one who's insane<em>

_Hey! You're playing with my delirium _  
><em>And the longer I wait the harder I'm gonna fall<em>  
><em>Stop! Playing with my delirium <em>  
><em>'Cause I'm outta my head and outta my self control<em>

Thanks everyone for your reviews. It's heartwarming to know that there are people who share my weird sense of humour. _  
><em>

And all you crazy people out there, yeah this for YOU.

* * *

><p><strong><strong><strong>Disclaimer: Mai Hime, Mai Otome and all their characters belong to Sunrise. <strong>****

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><p><strong>Chapter 5: Rain, rain, go away<strong>

"Haruka! What did you do with my speech?"

My best friend, whose arms were currently pinned behind her back, struggled in vain.

"N―nothing!"

"Really?"

"Really!"

I quickly switched my position, putting her under a headlock instead.

"Oww—It's true! I swear on my love for gyoza!"

I tightened my grip.

"Ch—chawanmushi!"

I tightened my grip further.

"OCHAZUKE!"

I released her from my iron hold. To Haruka, ochazuke represented the pinnacle of culinary goodness. The fact that she was willing to swear on it meant that she wasn't lying. And besides, she was turning blue.

"Why is she acting so weird then?"

"What do you mean?"

"Weird! She's acting plain weird. She hasn't sent me on any errands for the entire week."

Haruka shot me a resentful look as she rubbed her poor abused neck. "Isn't that great? Perhaps she felt guilty about the whole thing."

"It's not great! No orders from Ice Maiden equals no work for Shizuru. No work for Shizuru equals no need for Shizuru! I'm in danger of being retrenched!"

"You're overreacting," Haruka said evenly. "Besides, you're still getting work from Midori right? Now be a good girl and run along to the studio!"

She then proceeded to chuck me unceremoniously out of the apartment.

I sulked as I made my way to work. Ever since my last encounter with Ice Maiden, the situation has become even more awkward. It doesn't take a genius to see that she's avoiding any contact with me.

I sighed as I stepped into the studio. Another day of filming. Which reminds me, I have yet to mention what show we've been filming. Well, it's an action-thriller, and I was told that the lead role was tailor-made for Ice Maiden. Want to guess what it is?

If you guessed that Ice Maiden was starring as a hot biker chick who seeks vengeance for the murder of her mother, congratulations, you are absolutely right.

I glanced at the black Ducati parked right beside the set. A member of the crew was religiously polishing its shiny surface, which was already gleaming under the spotlights. We have yet to film the scenes where Ice Maiden rides the bike, but the entire studio has been raging with excitement. It's like – Whee! Sex on wheels!

"Good morning Shizuru!"

"Good morning Midori," I returned the greeting in Japanese. Spending most of my time surrounded by Japanese speakers meant that I had learned quite a few phrases by now, though not enough to string a full sentence together.

I looked around. A certain someone was conspicuously missing.

"Natsuki will be doing some filming outdoors today," Midori explained. "And in the evening she'll be attending the MTV Japan awards!"

"Okay..." I turned and picked up a magazine that was lying on the table.

"She's nominated for Most Popular Female Artiste!"

"Okay..." I flipped through the magazine.

Midori frowned. She then grabbed me by the shoulders.

"It's a very important award you know!"

And shook me hard.

"Yes, yes, very important award," I answered dryly. My head was reeling from all the shaking.

For the rest of the afternoon I was kept busy running errands for Midori and doing other administrative work. It was rather nice actually, since for once I wasn't required to go on an expedition to the far ends of the earth.

It was evening when I sat down to work on a laptop. I was aware that Midori was pacing around the studio, and was probably up to some of her antics again. But I had so many documents to look through that I couldn't be bothered.

Suddenly, Midori's phone rang.

At the same time, a voice in my head sang along. "Go, go, Power Rangers!"

Midori picked up her phone and started speaking in Japanese. I went back to editing the documents on the laptop. Gradually, however, I sensed the anxiety in her voice. By the time she put down the phone, her face was ashen grey.

"Shizuru!"

"Wh―what?" I sat up in my chair. I haven't seen her so anxious before.

"It's bad news! Natsuki, she..." Midori looked like she was about to cry.

"Huh? What is it, Midori?" My head spun with all the possibilities. Don't tell me she...

"She's stuck in a jam!"

"What? !" I fell back against my chair. "You made me think she died or something!"

"It's terrible, Shizuru! It's raining very hard outside and there was an accident. So the traffic is bad now. Natsuki will be late for her award!" Midori was wailing at the top of her voice.

My god, what do they feed this woman?

"You haven't been drinking again, have you?" I asked sternly.

Some people like coffee, some people like tea. Midori too, likes drinks that are bitter, but they have to come with "cute little bubbles".

Midori blinked. "No!"

She blinked again. "Only three bottles!"

"What should we do, Shizuru? !"

I rubbed my temples tiredly. Why oh why am I the only one stuck in the studio with her? Anymore of this wailing and I would be the one who needs to see a therapist.

I rested one elbow on the table, my right palm supporting my chin, and looked around the studio. As my gaze fell on the Ducati at the corner of the room, an idea sprung in my head.

I stood up and grabbed Midori by the arm. "Midori! Does that thing actually work?"

Five minutes later, I was zipping down the road on the Ducati. Yes, I know how to ride a bike. I had learned it on the sly from a girl named Anh Lu while I was in Vietnam. Just keep it from my mom, okay?

Raindrops splattered against my helmet as I weaved in and out of the traffic. Midori wasn't kidding when she said that it was raining heavily. It was pouring cats and dogs, as well as whatever else people kept as pets.

Similarly, it seemed that the accident had successfully crippled the city's traffic. The lines of vehicles snaked for several blocks, and it took much effort before I finally spotted that elusive black van.

I sped up, screeched to a stop right next to the van and rapped my knuckles against the glass window. From the terrified looks on their faces, they probably thought I was some yakuza trying to kidnap their precious Ice Princess. It was only after I had flipped up the dark visor of my helmet that the girl at the front seat wound down the window.

"Shizuru?" The bespectacled young girl was positively gaping at me.

"Hi Irina, fancy weather we have here, eh?" My voice was slightly muffled due to the full-face helmet I was wearing.

I looked towards the backseat of the van. "I've come to give you a ride."

Ice Maiden was staring at me, her jaw hanging wide open. I wasn't really surprised. Most people would be unable to associate "Shizuru" with "motorcycle". But ask Haruka and she'll just say blandly: "Make sure you have your will done."

I glanced at my watch. "It's 15 minutes to seven. Mind if you move a teeny weeny bit faster?"

She was wearing a dark green toga dress, which further accentuated her lean physique and her emerald eyes. In particular, it showed off those legs of hers that seem to go on forever. Nevertheless, I was in no mood to admire the sight. I was, for goodness sake, sitting on a bike in the rain.

She finally made a move to get out of the van, but I quickly stopped her.

Oh great. In my hurry to rush out of the studio, I had remembered to grab an extra helmet, but not a jacket. And because my life is just one big comedy, I _had_ to be the only one around with a jacket.

I let out a sigh. Can't get our superstar wet can we?

I shrugged off my leather jacket and threw it with the extra helmet into the van. Although it won't keep her completely dry, it'll have to do.

"Wear it and get on."

Once again she hesitated, her eyes giving me a searching look. I rolled my eyes in exasperation. "_Please_."

Perhaps Ice Maiden sensed that my patience was wearing thin, she quickly put on the leather jacket and climbed onto the bike. To her credit, even though she was wearing a figure-hugging dress, she managed to clamber on without much difficulty.

I idly thought that it would be quite amusing if the sides of dress decided to split, but given that getting Ice Maiden to the awards was really important (to Midori and therefore my future mental health), I brushed the thought to the back of my head.

I snapped my visor shut and revved the engine. I was about to speed off when I suddenly remembered something.

I reached behind to grab her hands and put them around my waist.

"Hold me tight okay? My salary won't be enough to compensate you." Plus half of Tokyo will probably come at me with pitchforks for allowing their idol to come to harm.

She immediately protested.

"I can't hear youuuuu..." I said merrily as I twisted the throttle hard, causing the bike to lurch forward. She had no choice but to cling on to me for dear life. I laughed under my helmet.

The ceremony had already commenced when we arrived at Yoyogi National Gymnasium, but there was still time before the presentation of her award.

Ice Maiden took her helmet off and ran one hand through her slightly tousled tresses. I have to admit, she looked pretty sexy for someone who had just underwent a very wet and exciting experience.

Hang on… that didn't come out right! Let me rephrase it. What I meant was that the ride was _kind of_ dangerous. But it couldn't be helped; the gridlock was ridiculous and I needed to travel 40 kilometers in 15 minutes flat.

Her face was slightly flushed as she handed the helmet to me. She paused, and looked like she was about to speak. However, her lips had barely parted when a group of people appeared seemingly out of nowhere and hustled her inside. They swiftly helped her out of the dripping wet leather jacket, which they tossed aside, to my chagrin. Luckily I managed to catch it before it touched the ground. The thing cost a bomb, and by that I mean an _atomic bomb_.

The group of people continued to fuss over the girl, attacking her with an arsenal of towels and hairdryers.

As for me? I was totally soaked. And freezing. I rubbed my arms, which were going numb from the cold, and watched as Ice Maiden was helplessly swept into an adjoining room by the tide of enthusiastic helpers.

I grinned and shook my head. Showbiz is so crazy. In any case, good job Shizuru! I must say I was quite proud that I had accomplished my mission, and would have patted myself on the back if not for the fact that I would have appeared quite mad.

I slung the leather jacket on my shoulder. I wasn't keen on riding back in the bad weather, but it sure beats turning into an icicle in the air-conditioned room. I turned and walked towards the entrance, wincing a little at the squishy sounds my sneakers were making.

"Wait!"

I spun around and blinked. Ice Maiden stood in the middle of the room, panting lightly and looking rather dishevelled. It was as if she had fought through an army to get out of the adjoining room.

And is that the first English word she has ever said to me?

She walked up to me and pushed a towel and some clothes into my hands, all the while staring at the floor. "You're wet…" she mumbled. Before I could react, she turned around and ran back through the door.

I couldn't resist a smirk as I stared at the pile of fabric in my hands.

Maybe she wasn't so bad after all.

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><p>AN: As long as you obey the law, I will keep my promise.

Have a greeeeaaaaaaat week ahead :)


	6. Idiot's guide to riding a bike

A/N: Honestly, you guys. I didn't expect the comments on "wet and sexy" Shizuru as I wasn't thinking about that at all when I was writing the previous chapter! Haha. I guess I'm just a pure and innocent person... (gazes afar).

Ahem. Once again, thanks very much for your reviews. I actually make it a point to reply to the reviewers, unless he/she doesn't have an account or had disabled the PM system. So, if you belong to this category, please accept my sincere thanks.

I'm a woman of my word, ain't I? Reviewers, this is for YOU.

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><p><strong><strong>Disclaimer: Mai Hime, Mai Otome and all their characters belong to Sunrise. <strong>**

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><p><strong>Chapter 6: Idiot's guide to riding a bike<strong>

"Shizuru!" Midori grabbed me by the shoulder and looked deep into my eyes.

"You are our only hope," she said solemnly.

I clasped the arm holding my shoulder and nodded with equal seriousness.

"I will not fail you, Midori," I promised.

Having said those last words, I dashed towards the crowd. As I ran, I put the walkie-talkie to my mouth.

"Viper calling Blondie, Viper calling Blondie, do you copy me?"

There was a crackling noise. Soon a voice responded.

"Blondie here. What is it Viper, over."

"Man down at area three. I repeat, man down at area three. See you there in five, over."

"Roger that."

"Over and out."

I halted my run.

Crap. The place was practically bursting with people.

But it was not as if I had a choice. My eyes quickly scanned the area for an opening.

There's one! I took a deep breath, and jumped into the crowd.

"Excuse me! Excuse me!" I called in Japanese as I tried to make my way through the horde. Some refused to budge, so I had to convey my request in a more, err, physical way. Oh well, you have to resort to violence sometimes.

Finally after lots of pushing, shoving and "oops I'm _so_ sorry" I reached the center of the horde. Erstin was already there, and the two of us quickly picked up the girl who had fainted on the ground before fighting our way out of the crowd again.

We helped the semi-conscious girl to the first aid station, where we left her in the care of two medics. I put the walkie-talkie to my mouth once more.

"Viper calling War― umm, WLCFDJBR."

"What WLCFDJBR? !" A loud voice immediately rang out from the walkie-talkie. "How many times have I told you? It's Warrior of Love, Champion of Freedom, Defender of Justice, Black Rider!"

I rolled my eyes. Why on earth must she get herself such long name? Even the acronym is a mouthful. "Anyway, Warrior-Rider-whatever, mission accomplished."

I could almost hear Midori pouting on the other end of the line. "Roger that. Well done, Viper and Blondie."

I lowered my walkie-talkie and looked at Erstin, who was sweating from head to toe. I was probably in the same state. We grinned at each other.

Where were we? At Ice Maiden and Cleopatra's meet-the-fans session, of course. But it's more accurately described as Chaos of the Year.

Thousands of people had turned up in Ueno Park just to catch a glimpse of the two idols, who were promoting their latest movie (yeah, the one with the hot biker chick). But under the sweltering sun and the human crush, it didn't take long for them to start dropping like flies. As you can imagine, trying to rescue these people was a massive headache, and I've had to push, shove and even leap over tons of rabid fans to get to them. Maybe I should consider a career with the riot police.

And what's with the army lingo thing? I'm bored, okay. Spice up my life.

The earlier turmoil had caused the rubber band securing my ponytail to slip. I ran my hand through my slightly messy hair before retying it, and took the opportunity to glance at the stage.

I must say I was both amused and amazed by the scene.

Ice Maiden and Cleopatra stood at the center of the large platform, which was surrounded on all sides by their supporters. The air was filled with constant chants of "I love Natsuki" and "I love Nao" and totally random screams, complete with ginormous banners containing declarations of undying love. Some of which even came with flashing LED lights.

Cleopatra was clearly soaking up the attention. She sashayed up and down the stage, blowing kisses to the appreciative audience. Meanwhile, the host of the event prattled on excitedly, stirring up emotions further.

I raised an eyebrow. As if the frenzy-level was not high enough. At this rate, we'll have to mobilize the defence forces soon.

Ice Maiden, on the other hand, was obviously uncomfortable with the attention being showered on her. She stood rigidly, one hand holding her other arm at the elbow. She spent most of her time staring at the ground, and when she occasionally looked up, her eyes would dart around, as if afraid to make eye contact with anyone. And the more the fans hollered her name, the more adamant she was in _not _looking in their direction.

I couldn't help but chuckle. How can such a shy person be such a big superstar?

At that same instant, an idea came to me. I tucked the walkie-talkie into the back pocket of my jeans, and brought both hands to my mouth.

Okay, Shizuru, time to show off your awesome lung power.

I took a deeeeeep breath.

"NATSUKI KUGA!"

Her head jerked up at once. Our gazes met.

I gave her a cheeky grin and waved. She looked stunned for a moment, before quickly turning her face away.

Wait a minute, are her cheeks turning pink? Unfortunately, my view was immediately blocked by a guy holding up a gigantic camera. I hopped on one leg, trying to get a better look over the crowd. Why the need for such a big camera? The guy was obviously overcompensating for something.

"Warrior of Love, Champion of―urgh, forget it. Shizuruuuuuu!"

_Great timing_, Midori. I shifted my gaze reluctantly and pressed the button on the walkie-talkie.

"Shizuru here. Wassup?"

"Emergency, Shizuru! Natsuki and Nao's fans are fighting in area one! Tate and Takumi can't hold them off any longer!"

I sighed. How much more exciting can my day get?

"Roger that, Midori."

Ah well. Here comes Shizuru to the rescue!

The meet-the-fans session was considered a huge success, if you consider the number of people who had fainted from the heat or sheer excitement. It was evening by the time the event ended, and the crew adjourned to Shinjuku for supper. As usual, the stars were absent.

The topic of the evening revolved around the filming that was to take place next week. Apparently, the Ice Princess would be performing the bike scene, and everyone was oh-so-excited. I would, however, wince each time a member of the crew started squealing about how the girl was the epitome of hotness, and gradually I became worried that I was going to develop wrinkles.

"Oh no, I think I left my keys in the studio," I said as I rummaged through my bag. We had finally exited from the noisy eatery.

"You need to go back to get it?" Irina, the theatre studies student cum intern from Scotland, looked at me with a concerned expression.

Well, it's a rhetorical question isn't it? Without my keys I wouldn't be able to get home, since Haruka has a tendency to become a complete vegetable when she sleeps. It would require a near miracle to get her to open the door for me.

"Yes, but no worries, I'll pick it up myself. See you guys next week!" I waved to the rest of the crew and hurried back to the studio.

The place was pitch-dark when I arrived.

"Urgh... Where's my damn keys?" I muttered as I tossed the piles of books and paper on the table around, trying in vain to search for that troublesome piece of metal.

Suddenly, there was the sound of footsteps. I immediately jolted my head up and looked around. No one.

"H―hello?" I called out hesitantly.

Silence.

What if the story of the woman in white haunting the studio was true? I swallowed hard and started flinging the objects around at an even more rapid speed.

_Whereareyoukeyswhereareyou!_

There was a loud crash. I jumped.

Okay... Mommy says that you have nothing to fear if your conscience is clear. Since I didn't do anything bad (not lately, at least) I've nothing to fear?

Go, Shizuru, go!

Urged by the annoying voice inside my head, I walked slowly towards the back of the studio, where a side door led to a yard of sorts. It seemed that the noise had come from behind the door. I grabbed a baseball bat that was used on the set and mentally cursed that the thing was made from plastic (Like what the heck? A metal one wouldn't cost that much more!) Anyway, it's not like it will come in handy for combating ghosts, but it's still better than nothing.

I gripped the doorknob tightly. And turned it.

"WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

There was a look of shock on the girl's face before she bent over double.

Laughing? She's laughing at me? !

"Hey, hey, stop laughing! Anyone would have been frightened okay?" My heart was still pounding as I got up from my position on the floor. I had opened the door to a pale-looking girl and had fallen backwards in my fright. With a yell that could be heard over at the far side of the universe.

As for the baseball bat, it had rolled all the way across the yard. I knew that it would be useless.

Stupid Ice Maiden was still laughing! I folded my arms irritably and leaned against the wall, watching with one raised eyebrow as she continued to guffaw. However, as her laughter crossed the one minute forty-five seconds mark, my annoyance eventually dissipated into amusement.

This was the first time I had seen her laughing. She looked quite cute, actually. I mean, at least it's better than her I'll-freeze-your-ass looks.

"I'm not trained in CPR, so please don't get an asthma attack on me," I said evenly as she started gasping for breath. Seriously, I didn't know I was so funny.

She finally quietened down and straightened her back. She cleared her throat awkwardly, before shooting me a questioning look.

"I left my keys behind," I said simply.

It was my turn to look at her with interest. "So, what are you doing here?" I could see the Ducati lying on its side behind her.

Suspicious.

On realizing what I was looking at, she immediately stepped to the side to obstruct my view.

_Very_ suspicious.

As Ice Maiden kept mum, I shrugged. "Well, I guess it's none of my business."

"I'll be going then, have a good night," I said cheerfully and strode out of the yard, closing the door behind me. I then turned around and pressed my ear against the door.

Five seconds, ten seconds... There was the sound of an engine starting.

"Ah-ha!" I threw open the door with a flourish.

Ice Maiden was so startled that she wobbled and the bike tilted dangerously to the side.

"Wh—oa!" Thankfully I managed to rush forward in time and hold it for her. The machine's really heavy.

I noticed how tightly she was clutching on to the handlebars.

"Don't tell me... You don't know how to ride this thing?"

There was a flicker of uncertainty in her impassive face, but she remained silent.

"Aren't you supposed to film the scene on Monday? How are you going to do that?" As far as I was aware, everyone had assumed that Ice Maiden was born knowing how to ride a bike, and therefore no professional had been hired to guide her on how to do so.

The girl got off the bike and nonchalantly tucked her hair behind her ears. She then pushed the bike by the handlebar away from me. "I'll learn... myself," she said in that husky voice of hers.

How is she going to learn it herself? By googling "how to ride a bike"? By watching YouTube videos?

I stared at Ice Maiden, who had pursed her lips in an expression of utmost stubbornness.

So she would rather crack her skull than admit that she doesn't know how to ride a bike. I exhaled heavily. Stars and their egos.

Well, I might not be a saint, but I'm not a heartless person.

I held my hands behind my back and looked up at the ceiling. "Say… I know how to ride a bike. Want me to teach you?"

Ice Maiden's face immediately lit up.

I grinned. "Say 'please'."

There was a crease between her brows as she seemed to have an internal struggle on whether to give in. Eventually she stared at the wall behind me and murmured something.

I put my left hand behind my ear. "What? Did you say something?"

A tiny voice floated by my ear.

"Huh? I think I hear a mosquito."

She glared at me. "Please," she said, before turning her face abruptly to the side.

I chuckled.

Ice Maiden actually said "please" to me! I can't wait for Haruka's reaction when she hears this.

I patted the seat of the bike. "Come on, get on the bike."

After a moment of hesitation, she did as she was told. And looked at me perplexedly as I climbed on as well and sat behind her. My arms brushed against her slender waist as I reached around her and grabbed the handlebars. I leaned forward, effectively hugging her snuggly from behind. As expected, her face burst into an impressive shade of crimson.

My lips hovered beside her reddened ear, and my voice dropped a few notches.

"Trust me, I know of a _really_ effective way of learning how to ride a bike."

Inside, I was grinning widely.

Time for revenge, Fujino-style.

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><p>AN: One, two, three, repeat after me "I demand, you supply!"

Very good, boys and girls.

Goodnight! :D


	7. The art of name calling

A/N: I love public holidays. And you should too, as that's the only reason why I managed to churn this out today!

As always, thanks so much for your reviews. I know that some readers feel that the chapters are too short, but this allows me to post them more frequently, and I'm _sure_ you would like regular updates right? Right.

Calling all reviewers, this is for YOU.

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><p><strong><strong>Disclaimer: Mai Hime, Mai Otome and all their characters belong to Sunrise. <strong>**

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><p><strong>Chapter 7: The art of name-calling<strong>

Gunshots rang out as the bike travelled along the highway bridge, sandwiched by a dozen black cars. The biker took out her weapon and pressed the trigger again and again, shooting down her enemies with cold efficiency. Windows shattered and cars crashed into both the sides of the road.

The ensuing chaos caused the remaining cars to swerve and collide into each other, resulting in a massive pile up of topsy-turvy vehicles. The bike, however, escaped unscathed with a few deftly executed turns.

The bike sped up towards the end of the bridge, made a sharp pivot to the left and skidded to a perfect stop. The biker raised her weapon once more, and fired multiple shots at the heap of cars in front of her.

There was a loud explosion as fire erupted and metal parts were sent flying in all directions.

As the billowing smoke rose high up into the sky, the biker removed her helmet and shook her head slightly, letting her dark and silky long hair cascade down her back.

A slight crease appeared between her brows as she stared solemnly at the wreckage before her.

"I have finally avenged you, mother..."

"That's a really corny line..." I muttered under my breath.

"And... CUT!"

There was applause all around.

"Excellent, Kuga-san!" the director shouted in Japanese as he jumped up from his seat.

A bunch of people immediately swarmed around the girl, taking over her helmet and handing a drink to her.

I pushed myself off the wall I was leaning against. Minion (i.e. yours truly) has to get back to work.

I was crouching on the floor, collecting the stuff that was scattered all over when I heard a coughing sound behind me. "Oh hello," I said lightly as I continued packing, "congrats on finishing the last scene."

"...yes," the husky voice replied rather proudly, "it was quite easy."

I raised my eyebrows but did not say anymore. She continued to hang around me awkwardly.

Finally, I put down whatever I was holding and turned around to look at her. She was still dressed in her leather biker suit, the skintight material leaving muchto one's imagination.

"You know, at the way that you're lingering around, I would think that you can't bear to leave me or something."

She processed my words for a while before retorting "N—no!"

I ignored her. "I know, I know, I'm such a nice person."

She gave me a "yeah, right" look.

I stood up and stuck my hands at my sides. "Oh come on, I taught you how to ride the bike right? Won't you agree that it was really effective? It took only three days, and you're not dead!"

The girl stared at me indignantly. She obviously remembered the way I had taught her.

Ahem. Ah, let's just say that the lessons were rather entertaining. For me, at least.

So it wasn't necessary for me to sit behind her in order to teach her how to ride the bike. Neither was it a requirement that I snuggle up so close that there was almost zero distance between us. But that's the whole point; her reactions were simply hilarious.

In my defence though, I would submit that it wasn't my fault that she blushes so easily. Who would have guessed that it takes just a little more physical contact or a more suggestive choice of words for her to turn bright red?

And though it was most amusing making her squirm, there were also certain, err, _incidents_, which I was totally not responsible for.

Take, for instance, teaching her how to make a turn.

It was the middle of the night and we were cruising steadily along a deserted road. Ice Maiden was controlling the handlebar, but as she was still a little wobbly, I kept both hands loosely on the handlebars, beside her hands.

"Okay, we're doing good so far, so we're going to learn how to turn left."

The girl was a picture of utmost concentration as she nodded her head.

"It's not just about turning the handlebar," I explained, "you have to shift your weight."

I took my right hand off the handlebar.

"Now turn the handlebar…"

"…and shift your weight." I pressed my right palm against her hip.

That did it.

"Whhhoooaaaaa!" My right hand quickly grabbed the handlebar to steady the bike, which screeched to a halt.

"What are you doing?" I asked exasperatedly. The bike had swerved like a drunk on rollerblades!

She glared at me.

I rolled my eyes and sighed. "I was just trying to tell you how to shift your weight."

Really now, do I look like a pervert?

She merely huffed and turned back to face the front.

"Alright, let's try again."

The engine rumbled. This time, I kept my hands firmly on my lap. For all the little jokes I've been playing on her, I do know that teasing while on a high speed vehicle is a big no-no.

The bike accelerated rapidly before she shifted the handlebars. I wasn't going to touch her again, but perhaps to spite me on purpose, she leaned so hard to the left that the bike tilted too much.

She instinctively applied the brake.

"Not so hard!" I shouted as the bike started to skid.

Holy!

I lurched forward, and my left hand clutched the handlebar while I desperately tried to use my body weight to tilt the bike back upright.

It wasn't working.

I slammed my left foot down on the tarmac and could feel the heat burning against my sole as the machine continued to slide for a few meters.

Thank goodness, the bike came to a stop.

"Hoooooo, that's a close one." I exhaled heavily as I looked at the girl. "You alright?"

Her face was pallid as she turned her head towards me. Soon, however, splotches of crimson flooded her delicate cheeks.

Huh?

I shifted my gaze downwards.

My right arm was wrapped tightly around her waist to prevent her from falling over. So tightly that our bodies were pressed together and our faces were barely inches apart.

Well, I had intended to sit close enough to make her squirm. But not _that _close.

Anyway.

"Didn't you feel safer with me sitting behind you?" I said with a grin, wondering if she was thinking about the same incident.

"You—you—"

Yep. She's thinking about the same incident.

"It was my front pressing against your back. So it's you who was taking advantage of me."

Ice Maiden was rendered momentarily speechless. She then rattled off something in Japanese, which I didn't understand. Options include: "That's ridiculous!" or "That's (insert vulgar expression) ridiculous!"

I shrugged blithely. "Yeah, I know, I'm such a great teacher."

She looked like she was going to explode, so I decided to save my teasing for another day.

"Idiot!"

Okay, I can't ignore that.

"Hey, stop calling me an idiot."

"Then you stop calling me I—Ice Ma...dam."

I would have snickered if not for the fact that I was getting quite riled up.

"It's _Ice Maiden_. And what I should I call you then? Ice Princess?"

"No."

"Your Majesty?"

"No."

"Girl with prickly temper?"

She paused, clearly not really understanding what I said. But she probably figured that it wasn't complimentary.

"No, I have a name!"

"Oh, so I'll call you Natsuki then. Na-tsu-ki!"

She stared at me, an incredulous look on her face. "Kuga! And it's Kuga-_san_."

Yeah, yeah princess, like I'm going to let you have your way. I never understood why addressing someone in Japan had to be such a pain. You have to first decide whether to use the first name or last name, and then you've to decide whether to use "chan", "san" or whatever honorific suffixes they have out there.

"If you haven't realised, I prefer to address folks by their first names. In addition, I'm a woman of few words. If I've to go around adding 'san' to everyone's names, I'll probably exceed my word limit for the day really quickly."

Ice Maiden snorted.

"Alright, if you wish. But guess what? I'll be happy to share with the rest of the crew how amusing it was to teach you to ride a bike."

The girl turned pale at once. "But that's... That's..." she struggled to find the word.

"That's blackmail, yes," I replied cheerfully.

She shot a glare at me.

Well, too bad. She should have known by now that I've always been immune to her glares.

I shrugged and turned towards the rest of the crew, raising my voice. "Ah, _Kuga-san_, about the bike—"

"Keep quiet!" she hissed not-quite-softly as she grabbed hold of me, covering my mouth with her hand.

"Mmmf!"

Oh dear.

Everyone present had turned in our direction, with stunned expressions on their faces. There goes our superstar's image.

We stood there stiffly as Ice Maiden removed her palm slowly. I changed my expression into the most solemn one I could muster. "Great move, _Kuga-san_. Your kungfu is most excellent!" I said while trying my best to keep my expression from cracking.

The two of us then quickly fled to her trailer, where we slammed the door shut behind us.

I laughed until the sides of my tummy ached. She continued to glower at me, although I could see the corners of her lips tugging upwards.

"So, wanna change your mind?"

She folded her arms and sighed dramatically, as if she was dealing with some spoilt brat.

"Natsuki," she said, "you can call me Natsuki."

I smirked. Natsuki Kuga, _K-O_.

To celebrate the end of filming, the stars and the crew had dinner at one of those really posh Japanese restaurants that were tucked discreetly at some obscure street. Everyone was in extremely good spirits, and even Cleopatra and Ice Maiden seemed to have reached a temporary truce.

Other than enjoying the sumptuous food, there were lots of toasting, cheering and competitions to see who could get alcohol poisoning first. On my part, I was kept busy thinking of new ways to fend off attempts to shove drinks in my face. It couldn't be helped, since my best friend had already given me an ultimatum: No sober, no come home later.

It was well past midnight when the raucous party ended. As a number of the crew was dead drunk, the rest of us had to help in sending them home by cabs.

"That Sakomizu weighs a million tonnes…" I grumbled as I strode back into the restaurant, massaging my shoulders. I had just lifted a whale into a cab, someone please give me an award.

My eyes scanned the room. The remaining souls should have enough sense not to repeatedly walk into the door of the cab. I slung my bag across my shoulders, waved goodbye to the others and made my way across the tatami mats.

"Ah..."

I turned my head around to see Ice Maiden (or should I say Natsuki?) standing a distance away.

The girl coughed, and made a barely noticeable gesture for me to follow her.

I quirked an eyebrow. I then gave her a if-you're-not-gonna-call-me-by-my-name-I'm-gonna-ignore-you-bye! look and started towards the door.

"Shi—Shizuru!"

The jaws of the rest of the occupants in the room dropped collectively.

I could only flash them a sheepish smile as the girl grabbed me hastily by the arm and dragged me out into the alley. I would probably be drowning in a sea of questions the next day.

We walked along the alley in silence, until we reached a vending machine.

"Want anything?" I asked as I popped in a few coins and retrieved a can of green tea.

"Coke. Light."

"Okay," I said with a small shrug. I had no idea why people liked to drink something which was 30% liquid, 70% gas and 110% sweet.

"So, why did you decide to drag me to this dingy alley?" I twirled the coke can idly in my hand.

She cleared her throat, appearing a little embarrassed. "I..." she began, though her voice immediately trailed off.

I inclined my head slightly in puzzlement. "Uh-huh?"

"The bike..."

_Oh_. Geez, does it have to be so difficult?

I raised one fist and shook it encouragingly. "You can do this!"

She shot me an annoyed look, but I merely grinned.

"…th—thank you."

Finally.

"You're welcome," I replied brightly.

I then took a big step towards her. "But, you know," I said as I leaned close to her and lowered my voice, "there's a much, much more _tangible _way to thank me…"

I stepped away. "Such as raising my pay!"

I blinked. Why is her face so red again?

"Whoa. What were you thinking about?"

"N—nothing," she stuttered.

That was like, really convincing. And she called herself an actress.

However, I was distracted by the numbing feeling in my hand. "Oh," I said as realized that I was still holding on to her drink.

"Here you go." I had passed the can to her, when I suddenly remembered something.

"Wait—"

Too late. As she plucked open the tab, the liquid gushed out like a geyser. Right onto her face.

"Oops." I let out a nervous laugh. "I've always thought that coke was too gas-y."

"Shizuru..." Natsuki growled as she inched towards me. I swallowed hard. I think I have just shortened my lifespan.

Without further ado, I spun on my heels and ran.

"Stop running!" The girl was chasing after me. Boy does she run fast!

"Only an idiot will stop running!" I yelled in return as I continued at full speed. I'm too young to die, thank you very much.

Little did we know, a certain pair of bright eyes was watching us from the darkness.

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><p>AN: Well, boys and girls, I'm sure you know the drill by now.

If you don't, then... I'm so disappointed in you! (runs off in tears)

ANYWAY. Happy 46th birthday Singapore! Majulah Singapura!

Have a great week ahead, people :D


	8. A song of ice and fire

A/N: Happy Belated Birthday, Ice Maiden! Lucky you who doesn't seem to grow old (or sideways...)

Some readers might be wondering whether it's possible for Shizuru to have a personality which is so different from the image she projects, but it's really not that unusual. Case in point: Me.

People who don't know me well somehow tend to think that I've a cold and serious demeanour. As for my actual personality... Well, shouldn't you have guessed by now? Hahaha.

Anyway. Thanks very much, reviewers! This is for YOU. **  
><strong>

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><p><strong><strong><strong>Disclaimer: Mai Hime, Mai Otome and all their characters belong to Sunrise. <strong>****

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8: A song of ice and fire<strong>

I stood outside the shop, deliberating whether I should enter.

She said it'll be free, so I guess there's no harm?

Bracing myself for another epic battle, I stepped through the doorway.

"Welcome!" a sunshiny voice greeted me in Japanese. "Ah, Shizuru-san!"

"Hello," I replied in Japanese with a polite bow.

"Please, take a seat!" The girl grabbed me by the wrist and quickly ushered me to a less crowded corner of the shop, her orange-coloured hair bobbing up and down in front of me as she walked.

The Japanese sure have a taste for funky hair colour.

As I sat down on the wooden stool, I looked around warily. My senses on the high alert.

Anytime now…

Just as expected, cat girl came tumbling out of the kitchen. "Shizuruuuuuu!"

I immediately jumped up from my seat. "Wait, wait!" I said in Japanese, making a "stop" gesture with my hand. "Three-metre rule!"

Cat girl obediently stayed three metres away, although she stared at me forlornly, her round eyes shimmering with moisture.

I let out a sigh of defeat. That look could melt a glacier. "Well alright, you can sit beside me," I said grudgingly as I patted the stool. "But no hugging!"

She nodded furiously and plopped on the seat to my left.

"Yes, be good Mikoto," her orange-haired owner said as she reappeared from the kitchen with a steaming bowl of ramen.

She placed the bowl in front of me.

"Thanks."

"It's so good to see you again, Shizuru-san!"

I took a pair of chopsticks and dug into the noodles. "Just call me 'Shizuru', Mai. And well, you did promise a meal on the house..."

"Yes, yes I did." Mai smiled. "It was the least I could do, after all the trouble we caused you the last time."

"It's alright, at least Mikoto is staying put." I glanced at cat girl as I put the noodles into my mouth. She's rooted to the seat indeed, but she was also drooling openly as she watched me eat.

"Wow, it's really good!" I said, completely disregarding the fact that Mikoto seemed as if she was about to keel over from hunger.

Mai's smile grew broader. "Thank you!"

In case you are wondering, Mai speaks fluent English. She had told me at our first encounter that she would have been an English major at university had she not decided to open a ramen shop instead. Anyhow, I'm grateful for her command of the language; it would have taken an even longer time to pry cat girl off me if I hadn't been able to communicate with her.

"So, you aren't helping Natsuki today?"

I choked on my noodles. "You know her?"

"Yes, we're very good friends. Isn't that why she asked you to get her noodles from here?"

And I thought that Ice Maiden was just trying to kill me.

I gave a non-committal hum and continued chewing.

"You know, Natsuki is actually a sweet girl."

I choked again. Sweet? !

"I know she doesn't look like it." Mai giggled. "But she is, once you get to know her better."

She then leaned her cheek against her palm thoughtfully. "I worry about her sometimes, as the entertainment industry is rather complicated. There's Nao to watch out for her, but those two are always bickering."

That must be the understatement of the year.

Mai let out a deep sigh.

"I don't know if you've heard about it before, but she's had a hard life."

I raised my eyebrows.

"Her father passed away when she was really young, and her mother had to raise her single-handedly. It was so tough on the both of them."

"In high school, Natsuki started taking on part-time modelling jobs and small acting roles because she wanted to ease her mother's burden. Even though her mother was furious with her."

"She became popular after acting in one of those shows. It was good money, so after we graduated she decided to join the industry full-time."

Mai let out another long sigh. "Her mother is still against it though. They haven't been on good terms for the past three years."

"Ah." The girl suddenly sat upright. "Where are my manners? I've been rambling on and on."

I gave her a small smile to reassure her that it was no problem. I must say that I had mixed feelings after hearing Mai's words. I didn't know that Ice Maiden—I mean Natsuki—had such a tough childhood.

But why is she telling me all these?

"Anyway, I'm so happy that the two of you are friends!"

I choked on my noodles for the third time. At this rate I'll be dead before finishing my food.

"Shizuru, are you okay?"

"Yes I am," I said as I wiped my mouth. Are Natsuki and I considered friends? I wasn't sure. But looking at Mai's joyful expression, I couldn't bear to burst her bubble.

Out of the blue, the girl took my hand and clasped it between hers. "Shizuru…"

My eyes grew wider.

"Please, take care of Natsuki."

She said it with so much gravity that I was totally at lost as to what to reply, and just stared blankly back at her.

Luckily or unluckily for me, my phone decided to ring.

"Hello?"

"Shizuru! Where are you?"

I could recognize that panicky voice anywhere.

"I'm having my lunch, Midori. I have the day off, remember?"

"You have to come back now! Now!"

I frowned. "What's the matter?"

"Just come back now! It's very important!"

With that, she hung up the phone, leaving me absolutely bewildered and more than a little annoyed.

"Geez… What's she up to again?" I muttered as I put my phone down on the table. In any case, it's not as if she would know whether I was on my way. I picked up my chopsticks and continued to eat.

The phone rang again.

"Hello?"

"Shizuru! If you don't move right now I'm going to dock your pay!"

I instantly scrambled to my feet, thanked Mai, patted Mikoto on the head, and rushed out of the shop. Did the woman plant a GPS tracker on me or something? !

The studio was bustling with activity when I arrived.

"Shizuru! You're finally back!"

"Yes," I answered dully. God knows what the woman had just put me through, making me rush back like that!

Gradually, however, I noticed someone chattering in the background. I looked around, and saw a young girl spouting Japanese at the speed of a machine gun. She was also gesturing wildly, the two little pigtails at the back of her head swinging around like a pair of broken antennas.

Girl with pigtails pointed at me and continued to rattle on excitedly. Midori nodded with equal enthusiasm.

"Yes, Shizuru! She says that you are the one!"

I gulped. "Let me explain, Midori, I thought that bottle of green tea was mine—"

"No, no! She wants you in Natsuki's MV!"

"MV?" I furrowed my brows. "You mean… 'Music Video'?"

"YOU MEAN SHE SINGS?" I guffawed so loudly that the girl in question, who was busying herself at the other end of studio, shot me a very dirty look.

I quickly covered my mouth. From my past experience, I knew how dangerous it was to annoy the girl past her limit. The bump on my head was still quite sore.

"Anyway, what do you mean by that? I'm not going to appear in her MV."

"Please, Shizuru! Director Yumemiya insists that you be the one!"

Girl in pigtails is the director? But she looks like she's in high school! One can never cease to be amazed by this industry.

"No way, I didn't sign up for this."

I took my bag and turned towards the door.

"I—I'll pay you extra!"

I paused in my steps. Even though I was staying at Haruka's, I did need some money for my daily expenses. There wasn't much left after deducting what I had to pay for Tomoe's rent, and some additional income would come in handy.

"What's the MV about?"

"Umm… It's a…" Midori hemmed and hawed while I peered at her impatiently.

I was about to do an about-turn when Midori quickly grabbed me by the arm.

"It's a yuri MV! It's very 'in' now!"

"Yuri?" I raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

"Ah…" Midori scratched her head, looking as if she was considering a very complicated problem. "It's when, uh, two girls have a very good relationship."

"Good relationship?"

"Yes, yes. Very gooooood relationship. So okay?"

I would have believed her if she had been less enthusiastic in batting her eyelashes at me.

"Not okay." I turned and walked away.

"Wait! I'll pay you sixty thousand yen!"

I continued walking.

"Eighty thousand yen!"

I continued walking, albeit slower.

"A hundred thousand yen!"

I stopped in my tracks. Seriously? Almost half a month's pay just for a music video? Maybe I'll even be able to buy that violin which I've been eyeing for ages.

"Deal."

Midori beamed so widely that I instantly felt that I had just waltzed into a trap.

Well, my instincts were right, as it soon turned out that "yuri" wasn't about a gooooood relationship between girls. But what's done could not be undone.

And besides, it was rather interesting filming the video.

It was much like making a mini-movie, except that Natsuki's song was blaring over the speakers as we followed the cue of the director. Surprisingly, she sounded pretty (okay, _very_) good, and I wondered idly whether I should purchase her album.

The theme of the music video was a fire-and-ice thing.

I had a number of solo scenes, but most just required me to strike a pose here and there so I didn't have much of a problem. One particular scene, however, required me to make my way barefoot and steadily down a rugged path. I was told that after adding special effects the video would show my footprints searing into the ground as I walked, like I was ablaze.

There were also many close-up shots of my eyes, where I was asked to stare intensely into the camera. Apparently it was because they resemble "flames". Go figure.

As for my co-star? For obvious reasons, she had even more solo scenes than me. There was one where she was filmed sitting moodily in the corner of a dimly lit room. Again, after adding special effects, the viewers would see ice crystals forming at the tips of her fingers of her left hand, gradually spreading upwards until it reaches her chest, where the heart is.

So yeah, the idea was: I was like fire, she was like ice. And never the twain shall meet.

"Okay Shizuru, the director wants you to look pensive," Erstin said.

The task of acting as my translator had once again befallen the poor girl, as it turned out that she was a close friend of Arika Yumemiya the underage director.

I stood there, expressionless as I stared out of the bright window.

"The director says this is good! Okay, now, look tortured. Like you're in so much pain but you're hiding it."

I continued standing there, only frowning and shifting my position a little because my legs were aching.

"The director says this is excellent!"

What can I say? I'm a natural at looking pensive and tortured.

Other than the solo scenes, there were some hitches in filming. There was this series of scenes, which consisted of flashbacks of how cozy Natsuki and I were (like happily skipping in the meadows that sort of thing). It was awkward, to say the least. One of us would either fumble or end up chuckling in embarrassment, such that we had a dozen retakes.

Eventually, Arika blew up. And when I say blew up, I mean really _blew up_. The kid yelled at the top of her voice and threw her script down with a loud smack. She then continued firing a chain of Japanese words at us. I didn't have to understand what she was saying to know that she was utterly, utterly infuriated. Thankfully she wasn't blessed with some godlike power, for otherwise we would be seeing a mushroom cloud over where the studio was supposed to be.

As you can guess, Natsuki and I immediately snapped to attention and performed the scenes with zero faults. It didn't matter that it was so awkward; our lives were literally at stake.

It was in the wee hours of the morning when, at last, we reached the final scene.

Erstin looked over her shoulder at Arika before turning back towards me.

"She says to do what you did to Kuga-san outside the restaurant on Tuesday night."

Do what I did outside the restaurant on Tuesday night? Both Natsuki and I stared at Erstin in confusion. Oh wait, this sounds really misleading! As predicted, the rest of the crew were looking at us curiously.

"What does she mean? I didn't do anything." I said this as calmly as I could, as I did have a gentle and refined image to maintain in front of the crew (even if it was a creature of their imagination).

Erstin shrugged lightly before turning around to confer with Arika in Japanese. "She said she'll demonstrate it to you."

I exchanged glances with Natsuki, who seemed equally perplexed.

Arika said something in Japanese as she pointed at herself, and pointed at me. She then pointed at Erstin, and pointed at Natsuki.

"The director says she is you, while I'm Kuga-san," Erstin explained.

What? Are we playing charades now?

The director spoke again and Erstin turned to face her.

Without warning, Arika grabbed Erstin by the shoulders and lunged forward, leaning in as if she was about to kiss her.

"WHAT?" I exclaimed, image be damned. I most definitely didn't do _that_!

Erstin let out a loud squeal, blushing furiously as she struggled to get out of Arika's grip. The latter tried desperately to pacify her while Erstin continued slapping her hands away.

The sight would have been comical, if not for the fact that my mouth was still agape from the shock of witnessing what happened earlier. I glanced at my co-star. Yep, hers could contain a hippopotamus.

Arika must have said something right, because Erstin finally stopped hitting her like she was some pervert. The blonde brushed her fringe away from her eyes, her cheeks still tinged with red.

"The director wants you to lean towards Kuga-san and say something to make her blush."

My jaw fell again.

"B—but…" I uncharacteristically started to stutter.

Erstin offered me an apologetic look, though she was clearly distracted by Arika's earlier assault.

Arika called loudly, and the assistant director shouted for everyone on the set to keep quiet. Another member of the crew came running with the clapperboard.

"Just make her blush, Shizuru!"

What am I supposed to say? Do they think that I'm some blush-producing machine, where you press a button and a blush-worthy sentence comes out?

I stood dumbly in front of Natsuki. She, too, looked lost. And a little embarrassed.

The guy held out the clapperboard in front of us.

"Scene 15, take 1. Three…"

Arika the underage _and crazy_ director eyeballed us from her chair, her hand tightly gripping the script. I wouldn't want to see her explode again.

"…two…"

Natsuki glanced at me uneasily before averting her gaze.

"…one…"

I shot Midori a pleading look. She just mouthed "do it!"

"…action!"

My body moved on its own. I took a step forward and leaned close to her ear, and she seemed to shudder. I said the first thing that came to my mind.

"I think… that you look even prettier when you smile."

I slowly backed away, to see that the girl's face had become bright crimson.

My gaze locked on to hers, and suddenly all I could perceive was brilliant emerald. That, and the sensation of my own face heating up.

"CUT!"

I inhaled sharply and we finally broke our eye contact.

Arika sprung up from her chair. I could tell that she was really pleased as she bounced gaily out of the studio, with Erstin in tow.

I turned my attention back to Natsuki and our gazes met again.

We stood there quietly, even as the clamor around us grew, the rest of the crew focused on packing up for the day.

The atmosphere was decidedly strange.

"Umm…" I felt that someone had to say something. _Anything_.

I lifted my arms, stuck two fingers above my head, and wriggled them.

"Guess those antennas don't really help her sanity huh?" I said.

She snorted and we burst out laughing.

The ghost of a smile remained on her face even after our laughter died down.

"So…" she said softly as she looked to the floor, gingerly tucking her hair behind her ear before shifting her gaze back up at me "…see you tomorrow then."

I blinked. "Ye—ah, see you." Did I just croak?

The girl turned and strode out of the studio in her usual confident manner.

"Good job, Shizuru!" Midori said as she patted me on the back, breaking me out of my trance.

"Th—thanks," I replied as she trotted off to supervise the packing.

For a moment I remained where I was, and shook my head slightly in amusement. It has been one long, crazy day.

Now that it's over, all I want to do is to go back home and sleep.

But…

Why is my heart beating so fast?

* * *

><p>AN: THE END

Okay, okay, please put that weapon in your hand down, I meant that this is the end of the first arc!

Let's see... I posted 8 chapters in 10 weeks! I'm so hardworking. Haha. I'm actually thinking of taking a break before going on to the next arc. But well, you can always try to convince me otherwise ;)

Umm, in the unlikely event that Mr George R R Martin or his minions—I mean his assistants—are reading this: The chapter title is kind of like a (extremely literal) tribute to you? So don't sue? Please?

Goodnight, everyone! :D


	9. It's a little complicated

A/N: I'm back. Miss me much?

I fancied taking a longer break so that I could replenish those poor brain cells that valiantly perished in the process of writing this story. But, ugh. Why do I have a heart made of tofu? I felt bad about not updating...

So, you should just answer "yes" to my first question to make me happy! (folds arms and huffs)

Anyway, if you're ever interested in watching the Garderobe Columns +1 do some funky moves, go catch the video at http:/ /youtu . be/ZOjLVfjhFgw (remove spaces please). It's short but awesome, in my humble opinion.

Finally, a big thanks to all the reviewers i.e. the people who keep me from skiving. Without further ado, I give you: The Next Arc.

* * *

><p><strong><strong><strong><strong>Disclaimer: Mai Hime, Mai Otome and all their characters belong to Sunrise. <strong>******

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9: It's a little complicated<strong>

When I reached the studio in the morning, the crew, especially the girls, were squealing even more than usual.

"What's going on?" I asked Irina, wincing as another outburst of excited shrieks threatened to destroy my eardrums.

The girl adjusted her spectacles coolly. "Apparently Takeda Masashi is coming."

"Takeda Masashi?"

"Yeah. He's the lead actor for Kuga-san's new movie."

"Oh?" I said, raising my eyebrows. Now that Irina mentioned it, Midori had briefed me the day before that Natsuki would be starring in a new movie, even though she had just completed filming the one about the hot biker chick. That girl really has a lot on her plate.

Irina nodded. "He's supposed to play her love interest. And guess what?"

"Hmm?"

"I heard," the bespectacled girl leaned towards me to whisper conspiratorially in my ear, "that they are also dating each other in real life!"

"Shizuru? Are you okay?"

I blinked. "Yes I am. Why?"

"It's just that you turned pale for a second."

Did I? Come to think of it, my stomach had felt queasy for an instant. I frowned as I wondered whether Haruka had added anything _extra_ to my breakfast. It wouldn't be the first time, after all.

"Shizuru!" My thoughts were disrupted by Midori's voice.

I looked up to see her standing in front of me, together with a man I didn't recognise. Not that it mattered though. The man, who looked like he was in his mid-twenties, was the textbook example of "tall, dark and handsome". He cut a dapper figure in his black suit, and the strange cross-like scar on his left cheek only added to his rugged appeal. The girls in the background were barely restraining themselves from clawing at him.

It was too obvious who he was.

"Let me introduce you two. This is Takeda Masashi, the lead actor. This is Shizuru Fujino, Natsuki's personal assistant. Shizuru's from America!"

Not exactly, Midori.

I noticed that his eyes lit up at the mention of Ice Maiden's name. He extended a hand towards me.

"Nice to meet you, Fujino-san," he said in heavily accented but relatively fluent English.

"Nice to meet you too." I gave a polite smile as I shook his hand. For some weird reason I was tempted not to do the usual and ask him to address me by my first name. But that would be against my principles, wouldn't it?

"Please call me Shizuru. And I hope you won't mind if I address you as Takeda."

He seemed a little taken aback, but eventually smiled. "Okay."

"Your parents Japanese, Shizuru?" Takeda enquired after Midori excused herself to attend to other matters.

"My dad's American, but my mom's Japanese."

"Oh." He furrowed his brows. "But your name—"

"My dad doesn't believe that children have to follow their father's surname. And he liked my mom's better."

"Oh, okay…" he replied, though clearly having difficulty understanding why a man would want his children to take his wife's surname.

Well, that's my dad. I had to get my eccentricity from somewhere.

Fortunately for me (and probably Takeda), our attempts at making small talk were interrupted by a distinct change in the studio's atmosphere. We both looked towards the entrance. In strode our hot biker chick, dressed in her usual attire of tank top and jeans. Today, though, she was also wearing a pair of aviators that screamed "I'm a superstar!"

Is it that sunny? I tried to peer out of the window beside me.

Takeda's gaze immediately zoomed in at the girl, blatantly stalking her as she made her way across the room. She casually swung the haversack she was carrying on her right shoulder onto a chair. She then slid her aviators off with one hand, before casting a glance in our direction.

Takeda stood ramrod straight. Suddenly his suave demeanor was gone, and he fidgeted erratically, like a boiling pot that was bubbling all over.

"Goo—ood morning, Na—Natsuki-san!" he practically shouted across the studio.

Every single soul present turned to gawk at him. I let out a low whistle at Takeda's impressive display. Even my toenails could tell that he had the hots for her.

Ice Maiden, however, answered him with an icy glare that shut him up at once.

She looked at me next, and I wasn't sure if it was my imagination, but her gaze seemed to soften. I responded with a stiff wave and smile. Truth be told, images from the last scene of the music video kept popping up in my head over the weekend. And every time they do, I would get this, umm, weird feeling. Yes, _weird_ feeling. I'm so awfully precise.

As I averted my gaze from Ice Maiden I noticed the clock hanging on the wall. Oops, better start working. I did a quick check on Takeda. From the glazed look on his face, the man was evidently stuck in Natsuki-land, and probably wouldn't notice my absence.

I rolled my eyes and walked away.

"She even writes like a drunken three-year-old…" I grumbled under my breath. I was seated at a desk, trying to decipher Midori's words (or should I say squiggles) on the document I was looking through.

"Hello, Shizuru."

I glanced to my left. A redhead sat on my desk with her legs crossed sensuously. Her chin was propped up by her palms, while her elbows rested on her lap. She gave me a coy wink.

"Hello, Nao," I greeted with a smile.

I must say that her purring was a little intimidating at first, but I eventually got used to it. If Mikoto was a bouncy hyperactive kitten, then Nao was a lazy sultry kitten. She was basically harmless. Provided, of course, that you do not step on her tail. Because then she would scratch your face off with those well-manicured nails of hers.

"Don't you have a photo shoot today?"

Nao waved her hand dismissively. "Who cares about that? I'm much more interested in coming to watch this."

I couldn't help but chuckle. I had to agree that it was rather amusing.

I wasn't sure whether the rumours that they were dating were true, but Takeda was sure as hell whipped. Every now and then I could hear the girl barking at him.

"By the way, I've watched the music video. You're pretty good."

"Thank you."

All of a sudden she leaned forward, tilting my chin up towards her with her thumb and forefinger. "I really like your eyes. They're like… _fire_."

My eyes widened and my breath hitched from this intimate gesture. But from the corner of my eye, I caught Natsuki staring at us, her mouth slightly open. I realized what Nao was up to. Again.

I sighed, and nudged her away by the shoulder. I really couldn't fathom why she had a tendency to get touchy-feely whenever Natsuki was watching. I much prefer the normal conversations which we have only when the latter was not around.

"I'm not your toy for pissing her off."

The redhead pouted, but she nevertheless proceeded to give the girl a wink. The girl immediately stomped in our direction.

Uh-oh.

I got up from my seat, ready to bolt, but she was already standing before us.

"Morning Natsuki," I said as evenly as I could.

The girl's emerald eyes lingered on me for a moment before she turned her attention to Nao.

"Morning Natsuki," Nao mimicked what I said, except that her tone was dripping with honey. Too much honey.

"Nao…" she growled.

The two girls glowered at each other, and I could almost see the electrical current passing between them.

That is the signal for the apocalypse.

Retreat! Retreat!

I inched sideways, hoping to sneak off. But alas! Nao caught me. She wrapped herself around my arm.

"Where do you think you're going, Shizuru?" Her sultry voice was at full effect, sending shivers down my spine.

"Ah…"

I wanted to say "far, far away!" but that would have literally meant the end of me.

Surprisingly, Natsuki interjected. "Let go of my personal assistant, Nao." There was a deadly edge to her tone.

I raised my eyebrows.

Nao coiled herself even more snuggly against me. "She's not your private property. Right, Shizuru?" Her voice, too, was laced with steel.

I gulped. "You mean legally speaking?" I managed to utter, my voice sounding squeakier than I would have liked. Thank you brain, for deciding to blank out when your owner is stuck in a crisis.

The two girls ignored my inane remark and continued to eye each other with murderous glares and gritted teeth.

I twitched uncomfortably. Somebody save me!

Who would have guessed that my white knight in shining armour is… Takeda?

He stood beside Nao, seeming to have appeared from out of nowhere. And completely clueless about how close we were to the end of the world.

"Hi ladies," he began smoothly. Until both girls shot him a withering look.

Takeda cleared his throat nervously. "Ah… Na—" Another piercing look from Ice Maiden. "Ku—Kuga-san, the director says we can start filming."

The corners of Nao's mouth crept upwards as she spoke. "It's really nice of you to come personally to tell Kuga that, Takeda. You could have just sent someone."

Takeda blinked. Then, his cheeks turned a rosy shade of pink.

Oh. My. God. This is the first time I've seen a grown man blush!

However, it seemed to make the object of his affections even more irritated.

Natsuki narrowed her eyes at him, and the man was instantly engulfed by a blizzard. She then turned to fire a "last-warning" glare at Nao. The latter grinned slyly as she released my arm in mock surrender.

Free at last!

I quickly stepped away from Nao.

"Midori!" I called loudly, causing the manager to turn around with a puzzled expression. "I have something very important to ask!"

And that, ladies and gentlemen, was how I made my escape.

Which lasted for perhaps ten minutes.

"I'm dying…" I whined melodramatically as I slumped on the sofa. It had been a tension-filled day at work, and I was suffering from a massive headache. Natsuki plus Nao _plus _Takeda was not a good combination at all.

Really, people, have all the fun you want bickering among yourselves. Why did I have to be dragged into it every single time?

Haruka peered up briefly from her comic book before continuing to read.

"I'm DYING…" I whined even louder. No way she's going to ignore me. "D.Y.I.N.G. The process where your biological system decides that it wants a permanent holiday thereby leaving you with a lifeless body to decompose which then contributes to the food chain and ensures that—"

Haruka gave a frustrated grunt as she put her comic book on the table. "Alright, I get it, person on the verge of death. What happened today?"

"Takeda Masashi."

I frowned a little when I realized that I had blurted out his name without thinking.

"Takeda Masashi? You mean the guy who acted in 'Sorrows of the Heart'?"

"What 'Sorrows of the Heart'?" I asked, rather annoyed. What kind of guy acts in such sappy-sounding shows? "I only know that he's some mega popular actor."

"So? What's up with him?"

I furrowed my brows further. "Nothing much… Just that…" I struggled to decide what I was trying to say. "Just that he's the leading man for Na—Ice Maiden's new movie."

Haruka eyed me with such intensity that I scrambled to elaborate further.

"He appeared at the studio today. And he just added fuel to the war between Ice Maiden and Cleopatra."

"You're irritated because of that?"

I hesitated, and instinctively reached up to scratch my eyebrow. It was something which I did whenever my mind's in a mess, even though I had long kicked the habit after being labeled "gentle and refined Shizuru Fujino". Yep, eyebrow scratching is _not_ part of the package.

Honestly? I wasn't absolutely sure why I was peeved. While I was exhausted by the numerous arguments that I had been caught in, there was something else nagging at me. However, I just had no clue what it was.

"Yeah…" I mumbled eventually.

I lay down flat on the sofa, staring at the ceiling light which seemed far too bright today.

"Hey… Do you think Ice Maiden is dating Takeda Masashi?"

"What?" I could hear my best friend shifting in her seat. "Why do you ask? Do you dislike him?"

I placed my hands behind to support my head and closed my eyes.

"I don't know… He seems… Kinda annoying…"

There was the abrupt sound of wood dragging against the floor. I opened my eyes as Haruka strode towards me and placed her hand on my forehead.

"Are you ill?"

"Hey!" I protested as I slapped her hand away, albeit without much force.

Haruka gazed down at me quizzically.

"Stop staring at me like I'm a six-headed serpent or something."

My best friend took a step backwards and plopped herself on the couch opposite me. "It's very unlike you to judge someone after barely meeting them."

"Yeah I guess…" I scratched my eyebrow distractedly.

I felt rather guilty. Haruka was right, Takeda had seemed like a nice guy.

"I… I just think that they don't suit each other."

"What makes you think so?"

"I don't know…" I slowly got up into a sitting position.

"It's like… he's a wood block while she's an ice block." I did an action, like I was striking a match. "No sparky, no?"

Haruka raised an eyebrow and was about to speak when my phone rang.

I groaned.

My phone had already rung several times since I got home. However on each occasion it would either stop after a few rings, or the caller would hang up right after I answer the phone. I figured that they were prank calls, but I couldn't ignore them as Midori would sometimes call to instruct me on various things. I was on a rather tight budget so I had opted not to get caller-id.

"Not gonna pick it up?"

I let out a low growl before snatching the phone and pressing the button.

I took a deep breath. I'm going to be civil one last time.

"Hello?"

Silence. Although the caller didn't hang up either.

Well, I've had it.

"Listen, _punk_, you picked the wrong number to mess with. Because I happen to be a bloodthirsty psycho and I will hunt your ass down!"

"Ah—"

Good, the idiot sounds shocked. But why does the voice sound so familiar?

Crap.

"Natsuki?"

"…y—yes."

This was the first time she had ever called me on the phone. And why does she have my number? Oh right, I'm her _personal assistant_.

"Were you the one calling earlier?"

She kept quiet. Does that mean yes? Or perhaps she's so fearful for her life that her jaw muscles stopped working.

"For the avoidance of doubt, I won't be hunting down your ass."

I heard her breathe a sigh of relief. We both chuckled.

"So… why are you calling me?"

"I, umm, I wanted to check my schedule."

I quirked an eyebrow. Since when does she call me to ask for her schedule? "I don't have it with me."

"What?" Her voice rose. "Aren't you supposed to be my personal assistant?"

I was rather irked by her accusing tone. "Well, excuse me. Who was the one who said she wanted Midori to handle her schedule?"

The girl didn't retort, though I could imagine her sulking on the other end of the line. I exhaled heavily. I guess a personal assistant should know her boss' schedule.

"Err… Let me think. Tomorrow you have filming in the morning, plus an interview with Nippon Daily at 12. After lunch you're supposed to shoot a commercial for Sony, followed by another interview with Tokyo First at 5.30…"

I went on to recite her schedule for the next three days in detail.

"…and a gala dinner at 7.30."

"And?" There was a mixture of amusement and amazement in the girl's voice.

"And you go home to sleep!" I huffed.

"What about Friday?"

"Huh?" I was stumped. I didn't have a super memory. And besides, Fridays were usually my rest days. "Sorry… I can't recall."

"Okay…" she replied after a long pause. It didn't escape me that she sounded disappointed. And I didn't like that at all.

I rubbed my throbbing temple as I racked my brains hard. "Umm…"

Finally, a thought struck me. "Oh yes! It's supposed to be your day off this Friday!" No wonder I couldn't remember her schedule. There wasn't anything to remember in the first place.

"So are you satisfied now, princess?" I asked airily.

A mere hum was her reply, although it was obvious that she was pleased.

I ran my hand wearily through my hair. My headache was killing me and I was craving a good rest. "Well, if there isn't anything else—"

"Ah," she quickly interrupted me, "so… so I am off this Friday."

"Yup."

"I—I am off. This Friday."

Err, yes, we have established that, Sherlock. "Uh-huh."

"Ah… umm…" She coughed a few times.

"… w—want to go out?"

* * *

><p>AN: Will Shizuru WANT TO GO OUT? (Da-dum! Da-dum! Dadada-dum!)

I don't know man, you tell me ;)

Goodnight y'all. Have a greaaaaaaat week ahead!


	10. Run, baby, run

A/N: Welcome, one and all, to the next installment of Melting the Ice Maiden.

I know you're dying to know Shizuru's answer, so I shan't waste my breath here (sobs...)

To all the reviewers, thanks very much!

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><p><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>Disclaimer: Mai Hime, Mai Otome and all their characters belong to Sunrise. <strong>********

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10: Run, baby, run <strong>

I tapped my right foot impatiently as I leaned against the lamppost. It was still early in the day, but a crowd was already milling about Akihabara station.

A glance at my watch just added to my irritation.

Seriously, Natsuki, is this how you make an impression on our first date? By being late? Geez—

My thoughts screeched to a stop. What on earth am I thinking? Date?

This is _not_ a date. I huffed.

What is it then?

I frowned, before hastily jamming the sneaky hand that had crept up towards my eye in my pocket. Damn habit seems to have struck back with a vengeance.

Uh, let's see. A meeting? No, sounds awkward. An excursion? Nope. It's not like we're going on a fieldtrip or something. Besides, that only reminds me of a bus packed chockfull with noisy pre-schoolers. A… rendezvous? No, no, no, that sounds even worse than a date!

An outing?

Hmm. That sounds… reasonable. An outing it is! I nodded happily to myself, satisfied that my brilliant brain had come up with a solution.

My field of vision darkened as a solitary figure stepped in front of me, partially blocking out the blazing rays from the sun. I backed up instinctively, before slowly removing my Ray-Bans.

"Na… tsuki?"

The figure grunted a reply.

My mouth fell slightly open as I scrutinized her up and down. She was togged out in black from head to toe. Black cap, black shades, black coat, black tank top, black jeans, black boots. Black, black, black. I could barely recognize her.

She shifted uneasily under my gaze. "Wh—What?"

"Are we attending a funeral or a Goth concert?"

Even through her shades, I could tell that she was glaring at me.

"I don't want to attract unnecessary attention."

I chuckled. Oh come on, the way she was dressed, she might as well be carrying a gigantic arrow with psychedelic flashing lights! And true enough, I noticed that other people in the vicinity were casting curious glances in our direction.

However, my show of amusement had put the girl in a sullen mood and she stood with her arms folded indignantly. "Alright, alright," I tried to pacify her, "you didn't ask me out just to pout right?"

She gave a haughty "hmpf".

Whatever, man.

Her royal grumpiness jerked her head towards me in surprise as I grabbed her arm and tugged her along, causing her to stumble after me.

"Onward, march!"

Two hours later, we were inside an amusement arcade. Our eighth amusement arcade, to be exact.

I trailed the girl as she made her round in the arcade. Music from the various machines were pounding in the background while she turned her head left and right, gravely appraising the games that were available. As with the last seven arcades, she did not seem to find anything interesting.

Sighing, I plopped myself on a bike meant for the Moto GP game.

During our last phone conversation, she had said (or more accurately, stammered) that she thought that I would like to explore the city. But it was obvious that she had other plans. Why else would a "tour" of Tokyo consist of visits to numerous amusement arcades and video game stores?

Well, not that I really minded. But. Just. Play. Something. Already!

I watched her as she walked up and down the narrow aisle, and noticed that her gaze kept landing on a certain colourful machine. I jumped off the bike.

"You wanna play? UFO catcher?"

She spun around quickly, as if caught red-handed stealing cookies. "Of… course not! I don't play such childish games."

I resisted rolling my eyes. "Well _I _do. So please wait here while the childish person goes get some change."

I grabbed some coins from the lady at the counter and headed for the machine. Natsuki hovered behind me as I popped two coins into the slot.

The lights danced even more brightly and the claw crane came to life.

I took hold of the joystick and tried to maneuver the claw to the correct position. By this time, Natsuki could hardly control her excitement.

"Ohhh," she said as she pressed her palms and nose against the glass window of the machine.

I pushed a button. The claw descended and attempted to grip the large silvery blue soft toy perched (seemingly) precariously on the edge of the chute. It came up empty.

I let out a low growl before feeding the machine with more coins. Nope, didn't work again.

Ice Maiden decided that she couldn't stand it any longer.

"No, no," she said testily as she pushed me aside. "You don't grab it, you push it."

She chucked two of my coins into the slot and muttered incoherently under her breath as she shifted the joystick.

"Let me do it," I said as I tried to push my way back.

"No."

"They're my coins!"

"I'll just pay you back later!"

Since there was no consensus, we ended up jostling in front of the machine, both trying to gain control of the joystick. We were bumping around so much that the poor machine was rocking from side to side.

"O—oiiii!"

The music stopped and the claw went back to sleep.

"My money!" I whimpered.

There were only two coins left, sufficient for one play. The two of us stared at each other, neither willing to give in.

"How about we settle this… by rock-paper-scissors?"

"Okay."

"Rock-paper-scissors!"

My eyebrows twitched as I stared at my traitorous hand, which had decided to counter Ice Maiden's solid fist with wimpy scissors.

"Two more times!" I huffed.

"Rock-paper-scissors!"

"Rock-paper-scissors!"

I smacked my forehead in exasperation. Shizuru Fujino, epic fail.

Ice Maiden wore a smug expression on her face.

Darn it. I have always been lousy at this.

"Fine, you get to play."

She appeared a little surprised that I did not protest further.

"Go on…" I urged as I folded my arms rather sulkily.

"We… we can play together."

I blinked, not really understanding what she meant.

She pulled me to stand on her right. "We can control the claw together." She held the lower part of the joystick and looked at me expectantly. After a moment's hesitation, I wrapped my fingers around the space above.

The coins went in and music blared from the machine. Just as she moved the claw closer to the toy, I realized that it was too cramped for us to stand side by side in front of the machine. Without thinking, I released my left hand that was holding the joystick, shifting behind her as I reached around her back and grabbing the joystick again from her left.

"To the left, to the left… Oh… Too much! Move to the right!"

"Ready?" I glanced at the girl, who was staring intently at the claw. She nodded solemnly.

"Go!"

She slammed the button.

The claw went down, down, down…

It nudged the toy into the chute.

"Woohoo!" I shouted. Take that, you money-gobbling machine!

My partner-in-crime, however, was completely silent. I tilted my head, only to realize that she was standing rather rigidly, her cheeks tinged a deep red.

Wha—

All of a sudden, I became acutely aware of the warmth radiating from her skin, and the fresh scent of her hair.

I glanced at our reflection in the glass window of the machine, and she gazed back steadily at me.

In my enthusiasm to beat the UFO catcher, I had unconsciously leaned against her back and slipped my arms around her waist so that my hands could control the joystick and button. My chin was almost resting on her shoulder.

I exhaled, and the fine strands of hair tucked behind her ear swayed gently.

I was standing far too close to her.

In fact, I could see that the people passing by behind were observing us with interest.

That strange feeling hit me again.

My arms tightened around her waist, but I managed to snap out of it in time. I staggered backwards, swallowing hard as I tried to clear my thoughts. That was really weird.

I'm really weird.

"A—ah," I said haltingly as I bent down, "the toy's out."

I retrieved the prize from the hatch and passed it to Natsuki.

The crimson in her cheeks had faded, leaving a faint pinkish hue. She smiled fondly as she stroked the silvery blue dog with soulful eyes. Yes, it's a silvery blue dog. It actually looked quite adorable, suspicious colour notwithstanding.

A thought seemed to occur to the girl, and she looked up at me.

"You can have it," I said with a smile. Based on what Mai told me, she must have had a rather deprived childhood.

Her emerald eyes widened for a split-second. Then her rare smile made a reappearance, as she hugged the toy close to her chest.

"You know… Whatever I said to you in the last scene of the MV, I meant it."

"I don't know what you are talking about," she mumbled as her cheeks regained their former crimson-glory.

Which made it crystal clear that she knew what I was talking about.

"Really?"

"Of course. I can't read your mind."

"Okay, maybe this will remind you," I stepped forward and leaned towards her, my lips lingering next to her ear.

"I think…"

The girl froze.

"…I'm hungry."

I laughed as Ice Maiden shot daggers at me with her eyes.

"Idiot!"

I glimpsed a flash of blue before my head jerked to the side.

"Hey!" I exclaimed, rubbing my head, "I didn't give you that to hit me!"

"You didn't give it to me. It's mine!"

My jaw dropped to form a big "O".

I snatched the toy over. "Well it's mine now."

"Give it back!"

I broke into a triumphant grin as I held the dog high up in the air, while she tried to snag it back. She jumped about helplessly as I twisted my body left and right to foil her attempts.

Too bad. It seems that a two-centimeter difference in height makes a huge difference.

I was having the time of my life, silently gloating and thanking my parents for my good genes when I heard the girl make a low rumbling noise in her throat.

Oh no. Oh no, no, no. Not the Kuga-growl.

"Wait—"

The girl literally pounced on me. I could only stumble backwards.

"Ow…"

"I win," Natsuki gleefully proclaimed as she grabbed the toy from my hand.

As for me? I was sore all over.

"Natsuki?" I said weakly.

"Hmm?"

"Could you please get off me?"

Her eyes bulged when she realized that I was lying on the ground, with her sitting on my tummy. Surrounded by dozens of passersby who were watching with their mouths agape.

"Kids these days…" I thought I heard a man murmur disapprovingly to his lady companion.

"She looks familiar…" Another lady pointed at Natsuki as she whispered to her friend.

Natsuki scrambled to her feet and helped me up by the arm. As I dusted the back of my denim shorts, I was somewhat appeased to see that her face was coloured a most fabulous shade of red.

I offered an embarrassed grin to our audience, before the flustered girl dragged me away.

Although I had intended to tease Natsuki, I was really hungry. Hence we decided to break for lunch.

After some tough searching, we decided on a cozy café situated along a relatively quiet street. I sat across Natsuki in the café, feeling obliged to give a small smile to the other customers who kept glancing at our table. I couldn't fault them though. A girl who's dressed like she stepped out from the Matrix, but who's hugging a soft toy? Of course she attracts attention.

A pretty waitress with a light brown hair approached us. "What would you like?" she asked politely in Japanese.

"Omu-rice," Natsuki replied.

"Same for me."

"Any drinks for you?"

"I would like an iced green tea please," I said fluently. It was one of the first few phrases I had made sure to learn, after all.

The waitress looked at me, and seemed to be deliberating something. She spoke again. "Please excuse my rudeness… But are you from Japan?"

I smiled. "No, I'm not."

"Ah, but you speak Japanese very well!"

My smile grew broader. "Thank you. But I only know a few phrases, that's all." I wasn't lying. Despite understanding a good bit of what people were saying by now, I was sure that I wouldn't be able to speak enough of it to save my life.

However, the waitress appeared to not have registered my words, and was unabashedly staring at me.

I inclined my head slightly, feeling increasingly uncomfortable. "Umm…"

"A—ah, I see!" She finally snapped out of her trance and quickly turned her attention to Natsuki. "And how about you, miss? What drink would you like?"

Natsuki narrowed her eyes, though it went unnoticed by the waitress, whose gaze kept flicking back to me.

"Ice coffee," she said gruffly.

The waitress gave a nod and walked towards the counter. Shortly thereafter, she came back. "Here are your drinks."

"Thanks!" I said as I took my glass gratefully. The weather was really hot.

My companion, on the other hand, merely wordlessly pulled her glass towards herself.

The waitress beamed sweetly at me before she turned and left our table.

"What's wrong?" I asked Natsuki in English. The girl had seemed to glower at the waitress as she went to serve other customers.

"Nothing," she answered, taking her straw and drinking from it.

I raised my eyebrows. Nevertheless, given the dark aura emitting from her, I knew better than to provoke her. We sat quietly for the next ten minutes while I tried to practice pronouncing the names of the food on the menu. It's a necessary survival skill, okay?

"Cat-soo? Cut-soo? What is it? Oh, ka-tsuuu don…" I mumbled to myself as I stared at the menu.

When our friendly waitress returned, she was carrying two plates, which she proceeded to place in front of each of us. "Enjoy!" she chirped. She then walked away, but not before flashing me another sweet smile.

When I looked at Ice Maiden, her dark aura was swirling around her like a fog.

"Why is yours heart-shaped?" she demanded.

I blinked. It's true, my omu-rice had been painstakingly shaped into a heart, while hers remained a dull oval shape.

I glanced at the other end of the café, where three heads, two girls and a guy, had popped out from the kitchen. They waved at me shyly when they saw me looking. I gave an appreciative smile in return.

I dug into my omu rice, effectively breaking the heart into two.

"Well…" I said as I took a bite of the food. Yummy. "I'm sure you would have gotten a heart-shaped one too…"

"If you weren't dressed like a flasher."

Natsuki frowned as she processed my words. Finally her eyes widened. "I'm not a flasher!"

"What's with the trench coat then? It's summer you know!"

The girl sniffed, placing her elbow on the table and supporting her chin with her palm. Her face was turned away from me. "It's got nothing to do with what I'm wearing."

"It's the way you— you—" she continued in a lower voice, such that I could hardly hear her, "even with the others in the studio—"

I furrowed my brows, leaning forward. "The way I what?"

But she refused to say anymore, and instead settled for chewing on her lower lip grumpily.

"…flirt."

I sat upright. "I beg your pardon? Did you just say 'flirt'?"

She gave me a you-know-better-than-anyone-else look.

"I'm just being friendly!" I said incredulously, even though Haruka's previous words floated to the fore of my mind. I brushed them away irritably. What, is it a crime to be polite and friendly these days?

Natsuki let out another huff as she dug into her own food, stabbing the plate with vigour.

The fact that she didn't buy my explanation made me even more annoyed.

"Why?" I furrowed my brows further. "Are you j—"

I didn't get to complete my sentence, however, as I realized that Natsuki had tensed up. I instinctively looked to my right, where a group of girls was sitting, gushing excitedly in hushed tones.

"She's sitting there!"

"…really looks like her!"

"Ah…!"

"…so cooooool!"

As they stood up from their seats and made their way tentatively towards us, Natsuki opened her wallet and dumped some cash on our table. She then got up quickly. But in her haste, her shades slipped.

"It's really her!" the girls cooed loudly collectively.

Before I could react, Natsuki had pushed her shades back with one hand and grasped my hand with the other. The two of us sprang out of the café, with a group of squealing girls in tow.

"Kuga-san! Kuga-san!" they screamed as they chased after us.

Ice Maiden only ran faster and I too picked up my pace. Unfortunately, the ruckus had attracted the attention of passer-bys, who joined in the frenzy.

It was like being stuck in B-grade zombie flick.

"Why—did—you—run?" I admonished in between pants, leaping over a railing.

More importantly. "And why do I have to run with you? !"

Trust the blasted woman to give me an evil smirk while on the run. "You'd better," she puffed, "if you don't want to be flattened."

I took a brief glance behind. Our group of pursuers had grown so large that it was like a mob. It was most likely that I would be trampled if I dared to stop.

"Good point," I said dryly as I sped up.

"W—wait!" the girl gasped as she tried to keep up with me.

We rounded the corner and she followed my lead into an alley. I had hoped that this would throw them off, but it didn't work. My legs were aching and I knew that I couldn't last much longer.

We were running along one of the back lanes when I spotted something. I skidded to a halt and grabbed Natsuki by the arm. Someone had left the door of a tiny electrical room ajar.

"Get in!" I shoved Natsuki inside before stepping in after her and closing the door shut behind us. It was just in time as we soon heard the raucous voices.

The girl let out a muffled sound of protest.

"Shhhh…" I whispered. The room was pitch-dark save for the light coming in through the narrow slits in the door. As there was little space and we were surrounded by all sorts of switches (which we most definitely didn't want to touch), we were basically squashed together face-to-face, with Natsuki sandwiched between the switches and me.

I tried to regulate my breathing and I could hear the girl's ragged breathing as well. I continued staring out of the narrow slit, while beads of sweat trickled down my forehead.

There was a commotion as the crowd scratched their heads and tried to figure out where their idol had disappeared to. My heart thumped loudly as they paced restlessly right outside our door. At last, someone shouted something excitedly and the rest of the crowd thundered down the alley.

"Hooooo," I sighed in relief when the noise finally died out.

Gradually, I became aware of the stifling heat in the room, the warm stickiness where our bodies touched and Natsuki's chest rising and falling slightly erratically.

Hang on. Her chest? Rising and falling?

I turned my head to look at her. She was trembling lightly. And even in the darkness, I could tell that her face was burning.

I shifted my gaze downwards and saw where my left hand was placed.

It was déjà vu. Only worse. _Much_, _much_ _worse_.

I gulped, while my cheeks warmed up. "Umm."

In 1.275 seconds, I was kicked out of the electrical room.

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><p>AN: This chapter is named after a song by one of my favourite bands. Can you guess what band it is? (Hint: Version 2.0 rocks my socks)

Goodnight, everybody! :D


	11. Double trouble

A/N: Hello, hello.

For those of you who had bothered to hazard a guess, my favourite band is... (drum roll, please)... Garbage! And my all-time favourite song has got to be "Push It". When I first heard it as a kid, I was instantly hooked on those wicked guitar riffs (and of course Shirley Manson's purring). When I got older, however, I listened to the lyrics and I was like... o.O

I'm a pure and innocent person, really. Hahaha.

To the reviewers, thanks very much. I appreciate each and every comment, which is why I make it a point to reply. Although some of you guys do make it quite a challenge for me... ;)

* * *

><p><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>Disclaimer: Mai Hime, Mai Otome and all their characters belong to Sunrise. <strong>**********

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11: Double trouble <strong>

"We're here."

"Thanks Sakomizu," I mumbled. Natsuki had already slid open the door and jumped out of the van.

I yawned as I stumbled after her. It's much too early in the day to be shopping, in my humble opinion. Yep, Natsuki is picking out some outfits today, and I've been "selected" by Midori to accompany her. I knew better though. That manager just wanted to have some solo time with those bottles of hers.

We were in Omotesando, the posh shopping district in Tokyo. I adjusted my ray-bans. The sun was already getting to me, although it was barely 9 am.

That's right, 9 am. What shop opens at this time, you ask? Well, being a superstar has its perks, which includes having the place open earlier just so that you can shop in peace – alone.

I stifled another yawn as we made our way across the car park. Natsuki walked in front of me, wearing a t-shirt instead of her usual tank top. It was a nice change; I was beginning to suspect whether she had anything else in her wardrobe at all. On my part, I had decided on an off-shoulder cotton top and cropped jeans to keep me cool in this sweltering heat.

We went into the lift. She silently punched a button on the lift panel while I scrunched my shoulders and leaned groggily against the metal wall. The silence remained as the car moved. That's the thing about lifts. It's always too awkward to talk.

A bright ding signaled that we have arrived. I opened my eyes, and caught the girl snapping her head away.

Has she been staring at me?

She stepped out of the lift without a word and I could only follow her.

On reaching the entrance of the boutique, two smartly dressed gentlemen standing on either side pulled the large glass doors open with a bow. We were then greeted by two smiling staff and shown around the place, which resembled an art gallery more than a store.

Natsuki slowly strode down the aisles, sometimes pausing to check out the clothes. If she showed the faintest sign of interest, the staff would immediately remove the item from the rack and bring it to the changing room so that she can try it on later.

This process continued for about thirty minutes before I concluded that I was incredibly bored.

I wandered off on my own, and was drifting aimlessly around the boutique when I stopped in my tracks.

Hmm?

After approaching the rack to take a closer look, I tugged the hanger out and made my way surreptitiously to the changing room, where I hung it on the wall with the rest of the clothes. She's trying on so many pieces, one more wouldn't matter, right?

Then, the fashion show began.

I waited in the lounge area outside the changing room as Natsuki tried on various outfits. Each time she stepped out from the room, I would either give a thumbs up or a frown. After the gazillionth outfit, however, I started feeling restless. Don't be mistaken, the girl looked good in practically everything she wore. It's just that they lacked, you know, err, some _sizzle_? Eventually I became so lethargic I went from sitting to slouching to downright slumping on the couch.

Nevertheless, there came a certain piece which commanded my full attention.

There was the sound of curtains being drawn, and Natsuki emerged hesitantly from the room.

I sat up slowly.

It was the halter neck dress which I had snuck into the changing room. It was probably shorter than what she was used to, as she kept tugging at the edges of the skirt.

I gave a wolf whistle and drawled, "Hey… sexy."

Crimson instantly flooded her cheeks. She was about to scurry back into the changing room when I quickly stood up and grabbed her hand.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. Let me take a good look at you please?" I said, holding her bare shoulders and turning her this way and that. She turned even redder but allowed me to admire the view. As suspected, the vivid green brought out the emerald in her eyes. The silky material, on the other hand, draped elegantly, hugging her curves in all the right places. To merely say that she was stunning would be a kind of injustice.

I was about to speak, but someone beat me to it.

"I apologize for not welcoming you earlier, Kuga-san."

That voice…?

I spun around to see an extremely handsome man standing before us. He was immaculately dressed in an expensive-looking black suit, his posture relaxed yet full of poise.

As he stared at me, his eyes widened. "Is that—Is that you, Shizuru?" he exclaimed in English.

"Rad?"

The next moment, I found myself in a bear hug.

"It's really you!" he exclaimed again as he tightened his grip on me.

"A—ah, Ra—Rad?"

"I ca—can't breathe…"

"Oh I'm so sorry!" he said as he hurriedly let go of me.

"It's okay," I said as I flashed him a warm smile.

He took a step backwards and gave me the once-over, though not in a creepy manner.

"My god, Shizuru," he said in an awestruck tone, "you're—you're all gorgeous—"

"I'm still the same, Rad," I quickly interrupted him. I've always found it exceedingly awkward when people discuss my looks. "A pair of eyes, one nose and one mouth."

"But on the other hand, time has really been good to you," I continued as I punched his rock-hard shoulder playfully. "Look at you! All hunky now, huh?"

He waved his hand at me in embarrassment.

There was coughing sound. Rad turned towards Natsuki at once.

"Ah, Kuga-san, please forgive me," he said quickly to the girl, who was watching him with folded arms, one eyebrow raised. Then something struck him. His gaze darted back and forth between Natsuki and me.

"Shizuru?"

"I'm her personal assistant," I replied, guessing his confusion. "It's a reeeaaally long story, so I'll tell you some other time."

Rad broke into a broad smile. "I see. Let me have your number later then, we should catch up."

"Sure thing."

He turned his attention back to Natsuki, only to see the girl stepping into the changing room. But not before closing the door with more force than necessary.

What was that about?

I exchanged perplexed looks with Rad. Nevertheless, we decided that this was as good a time as to talk.

"So Rad, how have you been? We haven't seen each other since middle school!"

"Yes, it's been years. Oh, let me pass you my business card."

He retrieved a classy silver card holder from the front pocket of his jacket and handed a card to me.

"Reito Kanzaki?"

"Oh yes, I'm back to using my Japanese name," he explained with a slight frown. He was probably reminded of those lame "you're Rad, I'm blue" jokes that he was subject to back in the old days.

I raised my eyebrows as I flipped the card over. "Wow... Branch manager already? That's really cool."

The old Rad would have stuttered bashfully, but the Reito before me only gave a confident yet not overbearing smile. I could totally see how he had made his way up the corporate ladder so quickly.

"So _Reito_," I asked, wriggling my eyebrows, "met someone special yet?"

At this, the shy Rad finally resurfaced and he fidgeted. "Well—"

We were alerted to the sound of rapid footsteps.

"I'm taking these," Natsuki said gruffly as she shoved a pile of clothes to Reito. She then pivoted on the balls of her feet and stomped out of the boutique as fast as she came.

"It's alright," I reassured Reito when I saw the worried look on his face. We went to the counter, where the staff packed the items neatly in fancy paper bags. There was no need for me to pay as the bill would be sent directly to J-Talents. How much more awesome could it get, right?

"Hey, where's that piece I got for her?" I muttered when I realized that Natsuki hadn't included it in the pile. Strange, I thought she liked it? Oh well.

I strode back to the changing room to fetch the dress and the staff packed it in with the rest of the clothes.

Having declined Reito's offer to help, I fumbled with six large paper bags as I made my way to the car park. When I approached the black van, Ice Maiden was already seated inside. She stared gloomily out of the window even as I boarded the van, ignoring the fact that I was struggling with the paper bags.

Geez.

The van soon went on its merry way. Ice Maiden continued to stare adamantly out of the window, clearly intent on giving me the cold treatment (pun absolutely intended). The atmosphere was such that Sakomizu kept giving me "what's going on?" looks through the rear view mirror. I could only shrug and mouth "how the heck should I know?"

Finally, the van pulled into the porch of her apartment block. I lugged the six paper bags, cursing under my breath as to why such skimpy pieces of cloth can weigh so much. But then, there were _many_ skimpy pieces of cloth.

My arms were aching by the time we reached her doorstep. She opened the door and I quietly followed her into the apartment. I placed the bags beside the large leather sofa in the living room and surveyed my surroundings.

It was the first time I've been to her place.

The house was spacious and natural light flowed in from the full-length windows. It was simply but tastefully furnished, with the walls painted a soothing sky blue colour.

Unfortunately, it was also in a mess.

An assortment of stuff was strewn all over the house, as if a burglar had broken in and ransacked the place. There was also a thick layer of dust on the furniture and on the floor.

I grimaced, curling my toes instinctively.

"Well? Aren't you going to clean up the place for me?" Ice Maiden asked, having evidently caught the look on my face.

I blinked. "Huh?"

"You're my personal assistant, right? Clean up the place for me."

Since when did housekeeping become part of my job scope? And why do I get the feeling that she's trying to punish me?

The girl, however, appeared to be in an utterly foul mood. I decided that I should just play nice and help her tidy up the place. It didn't help that I was a neat freak at heart and couldn't stand the mess.

"Fine… I'll do it," I said, raising my arm towards her.

She stared at my outstretched palm. "What?"

"Where's my French maid uniform?" I grinned.

Her eyes widened for a split-second before she turned and stalked back to her room.

I sighed. Someone's sense of humour is sorely missing in action today.

In any case, Shizuru-the-Maid, move out! I managed to locate a broom in the kitchen. I then went around, stacking whatever was lying on the floor on the tables before sweeping the place.

The process took much longer than I had expected.

Really, Natsuki, haven't you heard of a vacuum cleaner? You know, that thing that sucks up dust so that you don't have to sweep them from left to right only to have them fly back in your face?

After sneezing a total of seventeen times, I decided to take a break. As I leaned against the broom and wiped the sweat off my brow, the doorbell sounded. I glanced at Ice Maiden's room; she didn't seem to have heard it. I padded towards the entrance and opened the door.

A woman was standing at the doorstep. She raised her eyebrows at me in surprise.

"Hello," I said cheerfully in English, "are you looking for Natsuki?"

The woman blinked, her eyebrows climbing even higher. "You are?" she asked in Japanese, staring at the broom in my hand.

Oh. She doesn't understand English, huh? I tried my best to string a sentence together in my head. "Umm…"

Ah, forget it.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Natsuki's slave," I said with a straight face. "As my cousin was in debt I was sold into slavery to her, which includes making sure that her house is spick and span."

"She refused to give me a uniform though," I added in dismay.

The woman's jaw dropped. "Sl—ave?"

Wait a minute, she speaks English?

Just then, Natsuki came out of her room, towelling her wet hair.

"Mother?"

Oops.

On seeing the astounded expression on the woman's face, she glanced at me. "What have you been telling my mother?" her gaze silently demanded.

I gave her a sheepish grin and a look which said, "Well… It's technically true!"

The girl rolled her eyes and turned back to her mother. "She's my personal assistant," she explained in English.

"Pleased to meet you, Mrs Kuga. Sorry about the misunderstanding earlier," I said sincerely, hoping that it would be sufficient to compensate for the boo-boo.

The woman relaxed her tightly knitted brows. However, she didn't say anything more and stepped into the house, carrying two plastic bags filled with groceries.

Natsuki went forward to help, but her mother merely strode past her into the kitchen, where she started unpacking the items and loading them into the cupboards.

I had a glimpse of the dejected look on the girl's face before she retreated to her room.

Over the next two hours, it became obvious that Mai was right. The relationship between Ice Maiden and Mama Ice Maiden (Ice Queen?) was icy to the max. There was barely any interaction between the two of them, and the conversations, if any, were brief and tense.

I did the best I could to stay out of their way, but it was harder than I thought. You know that game, Pac-Man? Well, imagine me as Pac-Man, trying to mop the house in peace, while Ice Maiden and her mother drifted around like ghosts. _Exhausting. _

It was late afternoon when I slumped on a chair at the dining area.

Finally! I've finally finished cleaning this humongous place!

I gazed at the ceiling, half-expecting to be greeted by popping champagne and a shower of confetti and streamers, but instead I was graced with the presence of Ice Queen.

She approached the table, and to my surprise (read: horror), pulled a chair to sit opposite me. I immediately sat ramrod straight.

"Did Natsuki ask you to do this?" she spoke in English, with a crisp accent.

"A—ah?" I scratched my eyebrow. "No, I volunteered to do it." I waved my arms around. "You know, it's kinda dirty—"

I stopped myself. Did you just say that her house is dirty? Brilliant, Shizuru, simply brilliant.

Luckily, she did not seem to take offense at my words. And to add a further twist, she actually started making conversation with me.

We chatted about all sorts of things, such as where I came from, why I was in Japan, what places I should visit here, and even the weather. As I listened to her, I took the opportunity to observe her closely. It then dawned on me that the girl shared an uncanny resemblance with her mother, in both looks and mannerisms, though time had obviously robbed the latter of some of her lustre.

I wonder whether she was as pretty as Natsuki when she was younger?

Hold it. Why am I thinking weird thoughts again? !

"So you are only working temporarily for Natsuki? Are you still studying then?"

Her voice brought me back to reality with a big, fat thump.

"Y—yes, I'm currently in college, but it's the summer holidays now."

"College… I see…" she murmured wistfully.

"I wish that Natsuki was studying, instead of doing what she's doing now. All these… _superficial _things."

I blinked, startled by the sudden tone of disdain in her voice.

"I've seen those fans of hers. Instead of concentrating on their studies, they choose to chase after her, and spend their parents' hard-earned money on all sorts of gimmicks."

She closed her eyes and frowned.

"It's not a disgraceful profession…"

Her features hardened.

"…But I didn't work so hard to raise her, just so that she can make a living off her looks."

I was reminded of the expression on Natsuki's face earlier. My fingers tightened around my cup.

"Mrs Kuga."

She opened her eyes, and looked at me curiously.

"I might not have worked with Natsuki for a long time… but…"

I sat up even straighter in my seat, and took a deep breath.

"It's true, Natsuki is very attractive. But she's also talented and hardworking. Everyone can see how much effort she puts in, and we respect her for that."

I continued to look at her in the eye without flinching. However, as the seconds ticked by, the reality of what I've just done sank in. I swallowed thickly, certain that she would launch into a tirade.

But once again, she didn't say anything, and merely eyed me steadily.

After what seemed like ages, she finally looked away, breaking our eye contact.

She stood up from her seat. "Please excuse me, I shall be going home now."

Home? Doesn't she live with Natsuki?

I scrambled to my feet and followed her out of the dining area. On my way out I nearly bumped into Natsuki, who for a moment looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

Ice Queen walked unhurriedly to the entrance and put on her shoes. "It was nice meeting you, Shizuru," she said as she executed a bow.

I was so stunned that I gave a quick, clumsy bow in return. "Th—the pleasure is all mine," I said, before cringing. What is this? Are you from the Victorian era, Shizuru?

But is that a faint glimmer of a smile?

I didn't have the opportunity to confirm, though, as the woman was gone.

I glanced at the girl beside me. As with previously, she looked visibly upset.

"Wanna talk about it?"

"Talk… about what?"

"About you…" I jerked my head at the now-closed door, "and your mother?"

Natsuki shifted her gaze to the floor, and shook her head slightly.

"You might feel better if you talk about it," I tried to persuade her.

The girl gave another small shake of her head, though she didn't walk away.

"Oh come on, I just endured a snowstorm here!" I nudged her gently on the shoulder. "Tell me? Hmm?"

This time, she made a 180 degrees turn away from me.

Unfortunately for her, I wasn't so easy to get rid of.

"Tell meeeeee…" I said in my whiniest voice, "tell meeeeee…"

Doesn't work? I'll change tactics then. "Tell meeeeee… Mi mi mi re mi fa soooooooooo mi…" I broke out into a tuneless tune at the top of my voice, "fa fa fa fa fa mi reeeeeeeeee do…"

Natsuki finally spun around and pounced on me, trying to cover my mouth. "Stop singing!"

I twisted myself out of her grasp and persisted in my horrible croaking as I scooted away from her. She chased after me, and we ended up dancing around the living room, chuckling the whole time.

"Okay! Okay! I'll tell you!"

I immediately shut up and beamed. She rolled her eyes at me, even though mirth was written all over her face. I unceremoniously plopped myself on the sofa and looked at her brimming with enthusiasm. She shook her head in mock exasperation before her expression turned serious.

She sat quietly on the sofa beside me, seeming to mull over what to say. Eventually, she spoke.

"My mother… She doesn't live with me."

"I bought this house for us, but she said that she would rather stay in our old place…"

Seeing her downcast eyes, I was, for a moment, tempted to give her a hug. This, however, lasted for all of three seconds before our little incident in the electrical room flashed in my mind. Umm, I'd better keep my hands to myself.

"She doesn't like what I'm doing now. Acting, singing… she thinks that these things are only for shallow people."

She shifted uneasily in her seat, and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

"At first, I did it just for the money. But… but eventually I started to like what I'm doing."

She paused, before tilting her head up to stare straight ahead. "That's why I want to show her. That what I'm doing is not frivolous."

I kept silent as I looked at her. The steely determination in her eyes was something which I would not forget for a long time.

"Well," I said slowly, "the fact that she would still bring groceries to your house… That shows that she still cares."

There was no reply from her. But she was probably considering my words.

I decided to lift her spirits a little. "Oh, look, what's that?" I asked excitedly.

"What's what?"

"That!" I jabbed my finger in the direction of the television console.

"That's… an Xbox?"

"Clever girl!" I said happily as I reached over to ruffle her hair.

"O—oiii! I'm not your dog!"

"Let's go play Xbox huh?" I asked, not bothering with her answer as I dragged her with me towards the television console.

And… that was how we found ourselves in front of the television, mashing the buttons on our respective controllers as our virtual characters tried to beat the crap out of each other.

Or to put it more precisely, Natsuki's character beating the crap out of mine.

I sulked as I stole a peek at the girl, who was furiously tapping the buttons on her controller. What's the difference between her mashing of the buttons and my mashing anyway? !

The tables were turned, however, in the shooting game. I let out an evil laugh as the zombies pounced on my hapless companion, while I blasted my way out of the bloody mess. I've already told her that fire ammo triumphs ice ammo.

Time passed by in a whirl.

I awoke with a start.

I glanced around me, feeling rather disoriented. When I finally figured out where I was, I noticed that the sun had already disappeared below the horizon.

"Ow…" I groaned as I got to my feet. Somehow in the process of playing the games we had fallen asleep. The last thing I remembered was cheering wildly while Natsuki clutched her head in despair. _Good_ _times_.

I shuffled over to the sofa, my earlier awkward sleeping position causing my muscles much distress.

The girl lay on her back on the sofa, sleeping peacefully, her hair splayed behind her like a pool of dark ink.

I noted with amusement that she was drooling a little. Tsk tsk.

Well, I guess it's time for me to head back home.

A cool breeze swept into the room, causing me to shiver involuntarily.

I walked over to close the tall windows, before making my way into Natsuki's bedroom and grabbing a blanket. I then lay the blanket on the sleeping girl, careful that I do not wake her.

Natsuki stirred in her sleep, seeming to be dreaming of something unpleasant.

I crouched down in front of her, so that our heads were level.

"I'm sure you'll make her proud," I whispered.

I got up and strode out of the front door.

With one last look at the girl's sleeping form, I closed it behind me with a soft click.

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><p>AN: Darn chapters seem to have a sneaky way of growing lengthier every time, huh.

Anyway, the poor author here is feeling the strain from trying to juggle her life with writing this story. So get your pom-poms to cheer her on? Hahaha.

Have a good day! :D


	12. Hello, awkward

A/N: I'm tired. The kind of tired where you stumble on the treadmill because you fell asleep while running. Even now I don't really know what I'm thinking about. Wait, I'm thinking?

My heartfelt thanks to all the reviewers, especially the awesome cheerleaders. You guys ROCK. **  
><strong>

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><p><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>Disclaimer: Mai Hime, Mai Otome and all their characters belong to Sunrise. <strong>************

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12: Hello, awkward <strong>

I staggered into the kitchen, my nose just missing a collision with the doorway by a few centimetres.

A blonde was leaning against the wooden table, reading a magazine. She turned around to look at me. "Morning."

"Mor…ning… Haruka…" I mumbled, making my way to the kitchen counter.

My eyes were half-closed as I shook the cereal box a few times, before fumbling with the carton of milk that I had brought out from the fridge.

"Whoa!" Haruka said as she snatched the carton away from me.

I looked down at my bowl of cereal. The poor little things were bobbing around in a sea of white, which was threatening to overflow.

I furrowed my brows, feeling rather annoyed as I tried to figure out how to hold on to the bowl without dipping my fingers into the milk.

Haruka let out a frustrated grunt. "Let me do it. You, sit there."

I hummed in response, shuffling towards the kitchen table and dragging a chair out. I then slumped on the chair.

Haruka put the bowl in front of me and pressed a spoon into my hand. After giving a slight nod of thanks, I took the spoon and shoved it into the cereal. And stopped.

"Shizuru? Shizuru!"

I opened my eyes with a jolt. "H—huh?"

"You just fell asleep with your spoon stuck in your cereal!"

I couldn't tell from Haruka's tone whether it was meant to be a remark, an insult, or an expression of incredulousness. Probably all of the above.

I peered up at her, bleary-eyed, before dipping my head again.

"Ugh… I'm gonna get you some coffee."

In my hazy world, I barely registered the sound of Haruka stomping around the kitchen.

Soon, I was greeted with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee.

"Tha…nk… you…" I slurred and took a sip of the coffee. I never liked the aftertaste of coffee, but it was an emergency.

My best friend plopped herself on the seat opposite me. "What is going on with you?"

"What?" The cogs in my brain were groaning as they tried to get up to speed.

"You've been like this since coming back from that Reito guy's place on Friday."

Haruka's words were like a splash of cold water. On an icy winter day. "H—huh?" I said as I fidgeted uncomfortably on my chair. "It's nothing… Just insufficient sleep."

"Is that so?" She continued to eye me curiously.

I gave a small shrug and stuffed a spoonful of cereal in my mouth.

"You've been meeting this Reito guy quite a bit," Haruka pressed on as she quirked an eyebrow. "Anything I should know?"

I blinked a few times. The cogs in my brain were finally fully engaged. "Wh—what? Me and Reito?" I chuckled loudly.

My best friend, however, remained staring at me, not seeming to be in the least amused.

I sat upright in my seat and grinned as I pointed at the fridge with my spoon. "See that magnet on the fridge?"

"Which magnet?"

"The one you bought, i.e. the ugliest one."

"Ow!" I rubbed my head. Haruka had successfully smacked the last bit of sleepiness out of me with her rolled-up magazine.

I gave a pout, which was promptly ignored by her.

"Anyway… Reito is a magnet."

She looked at me blankly.

"But Reito is not attracted to fridges, he is attracted to other magnets."

She frowned, appearing to consider my words. There was then a swishing sound as she swung her magazine at me, but I was fully prepared and managed to duck my head in time.

"Is it necessary to beat around the bush? Just tell me that he's gay already!"

I gave her a broad grin. "But it's fun!" I then went on to stuff more cereal into my mouth.

That said, Haruka was right. I haven't been able to get a good night's sleep since I returned from Reito's place on Friday night.

I probably should explain my relationship with Reito a bit. Well, Reito, or Rad as he was known then, and I had met in the US during middle school. While I was the American girl who couldn't speak a word of Japanese, Rad was the Japanese boy who struggled in English, as his parents had only just relocated to California for work. The similarity we shared, however, was that both of us were ostracized by our schoolmates.

Lanky and gawky, Rad was regularly picked on by the bullies, who literally got their kicks out of him. This lasted for some months, before said bullies ended up stuck headfirst in a large rubbish bin, their legs twitching agitatedly in the air. Umm… no, I don't think I should tell you what exactly happened. I like to call that episode the Revenge of the Nerds, though.

Anyway, that one year that we spent together was the only happy memory I had of middle school. Thereafter, my parents decided to move to Singapore. We kept in touch for a while, sending long letters over the Pacific Ocean. But that was the time before Facebook and whatnot, and eventually we lost contact with each other.

Who would have known that he had moved back to Japan; that we would meet again in Tokyo?

And who would have expected the immensely awkward teenager to grow up into a dashing young man?

I guess Rad has the last laugh now.

Since our surprise reunion at the boutique, I had gone over to Reito's place a few times to chill. His parents were still based in the US, so he was living alone in the suburbs. His bachelor pad, though small, was cozy enough. I would spend the evenings chatting and joking around with him, and it would feel as if those years in which we were apart never existed. The shy and thoughtful Rad whom I knew also gradually made his appearances more and more frequently.

So last Friday night, I had again dropped by Reito's place. After dinner, I lazed on the tatami-covered floor, while Reito was glued to his laptop. I was getting rather bored, as my dear friend had been stuck on YouTube for ages, randomly surfing for interesting videos. The last time he spoke to me, I gathered that he was viewing videos of various female celebrities.

"Are you done being pervy yet, Reito?" I asked as I lolled on the floor. No, I have no idea why a gay guy was watching videos of so-called hot babes.

"I'm not being pervy, Shizuru," he replied evenly, his gaze still affixed to the screen, "I'm just amazed that there are so many videos like this online."

"Yeah, and you have to actually _watch_ them to be amazed," I retorted dryly as I sat up on the tatami. Suddenly a thought struck me – my, err, video with Natsuki wouldn't happen to have been uploaded on YouTube, would it?

I quickly got to my feet, and was contemplating whether to "accidentally" trip on the laptop wire when Reito jerked his head up.

"Shizuru!"

I stopped breathing. You gotta be kidding me!

"Look at this!" he said excitedly as he turned his laptop towards me.

My panic was quickly replaced by a sense of relief when I realized that it was not the music video. Instead it seemed to be a clip from a movie.

"Oh my god," Reito gushed excitedly as he nudged the laptop nearer to me, "she's so hot I can go straight for her."

I was about to comment that the statement was so wrong in so many ways, but for some weird reason, I wasn't able to tear my gaze away.

I recognized the girl in the video immediately as one of those popular young actresses from Hollywood.

The girl sauntered slowly towards the camera, her hips swaying sensuously from side to side. She flicked her long, black hair behind her shoulder, before running her hand through those sexily tousled locks.

As she came closer, her lips parted slightly in a smirk, while her smoldering gaze threatened to burn up the screen.

As I watched, my eyebrows climbed higher and higher.

The dark-haired girl's face started to blur, and for a moment I thought I saw dazzling, emerald eyes.

…_Natsuki? _

"Shizuru? Shizuru?"

Reito was snapping his fingers in front of me. "Helllllloooooo?"

I stared at him, wide-eyed.

Without further ado, I bolted from the room. It took some time before my beloved eyebrows went back to their default positions.

And yes. From then on I've been haunted by images of a certain Ice Maiden.

Maybe Haruka can shed some light on this mystery.

"Ah… Haruka?" I said quietly, stirring my spoon in the cereal bowl.

"Hmm?"

"Do you think… Do you think Ice Maiden looks like—"

We were interrupted by the sound of Haruka's phone ringing.

My best friend cast an apologetic glance in my direction. "Sorry," she said before picking up the call. "Hello? Yukino?"

I let out a heavy sigh and went to wash the dishes. I'm going to have a real awkward day at the studio.

One hour later, I was standing nervously at entrance of my workplace.

Okay, she usually comes in a bit later, so I should have enough time to concoct an excuse and get out of the studio. At least until I get these absurd images out of my head.

But surely heaven loved me, as I proceeded to run right smack into the girl I was trying to avoid.

"Hey." Natsuki gave a small smile as she slid her aviators off.

I shifted my gaze elsewhere at once. "H—hey. You are early today," I croaked as I marched stiffly into the studio, staring straight ahead.

"Yeah… I, umm, I thought I could help you with some errands," she answered as she trailed behind me.

Help me? With errands? What happened to Shizuru-the-Maid?

I haven't had the chance to reply when she quickly added, "Midori said that the faster we get them out of the way, the faster we can finish the filming."

Oh. And here I was, thinking that she was being nice to me.

I removed my messenger bag and threw it on the chair, before picking up a stack of paper. It contained a schedule of things that had to be done that week. "It's alright," I said blandly as I kept my gaze on the paper, "I can handle them."

"Ah… okay," she mumbled.

I continued flipping through the stack of paper uneasily, wondering why she was still hovering behind me.

"Shizuru?"

"Huh?"

"You've flipped through them three times. Are you okay?"

"A—ah?" I coughed a few times. My awkward behaviour clearly couldn't go on forever; she probably knew that something was amiss.

"Sorry," I said as I turned my body towards her, "I—I haven't gotten enough sleep."

Are you talking to the air? Look at her, Shizuru!

I forced myself to meet her eyes. Which turned out to be _huge_ mistake, as our gazes promptly locked.

I found myself unable to move as she stretched her hand out hesitantly, and pressed her palm gently on my forehead. "You're not feeling well?"

I could see the familiar crimson hue gathering in her cheeks, and my gaze instinctively drifted downwards to her lips. Luscious, pink lips.

Holy macaroni!

I flinched, snapping my gaze back upwards. "I'm okay!"

"Really?" Her brows were slightly furrowed. "Your forehead seems a bit warm."

Of course it's warm, because I'm blushing!

And why in the world did I stare at her lips for?

Well, err, because she was moving her lips?

Yeah, right. Since when did you become an expert in lip-reading, huh?

I kicked my bickering thoughts to the back of my head. Both of you, shut up!

"Yes, yes. I'm fine."

"Okay," she said uncertainly as she removed her hand from my forehead. My body instantly relaxed and I breathed a small sigh of relief.

As she turned around to walk away, I massaged the back of my neck wearily. It has been a horrible morning so far.

"Ah, Shizuru?" She suddenly spun around, such that I jerked my head up. I winced at once.

Crap. I think I pulled a muscle.

I reluctantly turned my attention to her. But my gaze had barely skimmed over her face when unwanted images started flashing in my mind again. Intense green eyes, delicate cheeks, cherry lips—

"Y—yes, Natsuki?"

"About that day when you came over… Umm, why are you staring at the ceiling?"

"Ah? Well…" I continued massaging my sore neck. "The ceiling…"

"The ceiling is reaaalllyyy high…"

"High?"

"Yeah, reaaalllyyy, reaaalllyyy high. They shouldn't make the ceiling so high, you know. It's too difficult to clean."

I immediately regretted my words.

You're a profound idiot, Shizuru. Who cleans the ceiling? !

I was scrambling to think of a better explanation when a familiar voice sounded.

"A—ah, Kuga-san?"

I finally lowered my gaze, to see that a certain man had stepped between Natsuki and me.

Well _excuse_ _me_, Takeda. I'm having a conversation with Natsuki here.

Whereby another voice in my head interjected: Aren't you trying to avoid having a conversation with her?

Yes, yes, you smartass.

I'm part of your brain, not your ass!

I could only roll my eyes, which earned me another quizzical look from Natsuki over Takeda's shoulder. Despite my annoyance with him, the man had probably saved me from further embarrassment. I managed to give the visibly irritated girl a somewhat strained smile before scurrying off to my duties.

When I returned from my errands in the late afternoon, Natsuki was nowhere to seen. Despite the fact that I've been trying to avoid her the whole morning, the knowledge that she wasn't around did make me feel… well, I didn't feel too happy I guess.

"Looking for Kuga?"

I stopped looking around restlessly and turned my attention to the redhead. "No, I'm, err, just wondering where she's gone to, that's all."

"Oh you don't know, Shizuru?" Nao smiled smugly as she folded her arms. "Kuga is having dinner with John Smith tonight."

"John Smith?" The name sounded vaguely familiar.

"John Smith? You mean the director of 'Perspectives' and 'The Berlin Stone'?" Irina butted in enthusiastically. "He's one of my favourite directors!"

Ah, that's right. I had seen his name mentioned in the papers quite a bit while I was back in London.

"Yes, John Smith is supposedly one of the most talented directors of his generation," Nao said as she inspected her finely manicured nails, "but I must say I don't like him much. He's too… touchy-feely for me."

Both Irina and I raised our eyebrows. "Huh?"

The redhead continued inspecting her nails. "I had met him once, at the Festival de Cannes. He invited me to dinner, and I obliged. However, we had barely finished the hors d'oeuvres, when he tried to put his hand on my thigh."

The redhead looked up from her nails and grinned. "Naturally, I made sure that his bespoke suit was permanently stained a deep red."

An uncomfortable feeling arose from the pit of my stomach. "But you say—you say Natsuki is having dinner with him?"

"Well, I heard that John Smith is interested in making a short film set in Japan. Kuga probably decided that a dinner with him might persuade him to give the part to her."

Nao flicked her wrist nonchalantly. "Much as I think Kuga is dumb, I must give her credit this time; it's a smart move."

I was momentarily rendered speechless. "But—but—"

I hastily turned to Irina. "Did anyone accompany Natsuki to the dinner?"

"Umm," Irina scratched her head, "I don't think so."

My head was awash with images of Natsuki and a faceless man in a restaurant, the man inching closer and closer, reaching his hand out towards her—

No freaking way.

"How could Midori allow her to do this?" I demanded angrily, at no one in particular.

"Irina! Text me the address for the restaurant!"

The bespectacled girl was stunned for a second, but she eventually nodded her head furiously.

Without another word, I ran off to grab my bag. The last thing I saw before I sprinted out of the studio was a strange expression on Nao's face.

"_John_ _Smith_… Famous director or not, if he dares to lay a hand on her I'll make sure that he ends up in a morgue with a _'John Doe'_ tag on his big toe," I muttered under my breath as I hopped off the cab.

I surveyed the place before me. It was ostensibly a traditional Japanese restaurant, and the most expensive kind, if I might add.

I tried to remain calm as I stepped into the restaurant, since no employee in the right mind would allow entry to a person who looked like she was on a murderous rampage. After spending an arduous ten minutes talking to the staff in gentle-and-refined-Fujino mode and taking a long walk through a bamboo forest (go figure), I finally found myself in front of a shoji, the traditional Japanese sliding door.

"Natsuki?" I called as I pulled open the door.

I was greeted by an empty room.

I grimaced as I removed my shoes and stepped on the tatami.

For goodness sake, please don't tell me that there are a gazillion rooms here. I don't have time for this.

When I slid open the next door, however, I found the person I was looking for.

For a full ten seconds I stood frozen.

Natsuki knelt before a table, her hands resting on her lap. She was wearing a white kimono decorated with sakura motifs as well as a blue sash, with her long dark hair twirled up in a bun to show off her elegant neck.

She was… beautiful.

"Shi—Shizuru?" Her cheeks had rapidly reddened under my blatant gawking.

I blinked and shook my head slightly. Darn it, Shizuru, this is neither the time nor place to be having those weird thoughts of yours!

I cleared my throat. "Is—Is it true that you're meeting John Smith?"

She frowned, obviously bewildered by my interrogative tone. "Yes. Why—"

"Nao told me that he's a lecher. I know you are interested in the film he's making, but is there a need to do this?"

She knitted her brows even more tightly. "It's just a dinner."

"Really? Then," I gestured irritably at her, "then why are you dressed like this?"

Her cheeks started to flush again. "The film will be set in the Meiji period, so I thought…"

So you thought that this would impress him?

Oh, it would really impress him.

And I didn't like the thought of it at all.

Just then, there was a knocking sound from the other room.

"I'm not going to let you do this," I said as I turned briskly towards the source of the noise.

"Shizuru!" she shouted as she tried to get up. However, she seemed to be very unused to wearing a kimono, and hence I was able to seize the opportunity to rush to the door.

A man was standing at door. He had an extremely high forehead, which was worsened by the fact that he was balding. A pair of rimless glasses rested on his prominent, beak-like nose.

He adjusted his glasses and smiled. "Ms Kuga, I presume?"

"My name is John Smith, and I must say…" His smile grew broader as he gave me an once-over. "I'm _most_ _pleased_ to meet you. I didn't know that Ms Kuga was such a beautiful lady."

"I'm not Natsuki Kuga."

The man tensed up, having evidently sensed the hostility in my voice.

"Then who, may I ask, are you?"

I narrowed my eyes.

"I'm her personal assistant, which means that I'm her door bitch."

"And you," I growled as I jabbed my finger in his shoulder, "are _not_ getting into the club."

With that, I slammed the door shut in his face.

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><p>AN: In response to reader's query. Yes, I'm still working on this story on a demand-and-supply basis.

People in the West, enjoy the rest of your precious Sunday. People in the East, hope this eased your Monday blues.

I'm outta here! :D


	13. For what it's worth

A/N: Hello folks.

A person who feels that her brains are swimming in water probably shouldn't say too much here.

To the reviewers, thanks so much for your support. Much appreciated :D**  
><strong>

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><p><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>Disclaimer: Mai Hime, Mai Otome and all their characters belong to Sunrise. <strong>**************

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><p><strong>Chapter 13: For what it's worth<strong>

My thumb rubbed against my forefinger restlessly as I lingered in front of the familiar doorway. My mind had been a complete blank as I made my way to work, although my body seemed to be clued in on the destination.

But now that I've arrived, the unpleasant feelings were once again threatening to overwhelm me.

Should I take the day off?

No, it wouldn't help anything.

With a heavy sigh, I pulled the brim of my trucker cap lower and stepped into the studio.

"O—oh!"

I snapped my head up at the exclamation to realize that I had nearly crashed into the petite girl before me. "Sorry, Erstin," I muttered as I went around her.

"It's okay…" The blonde answered hesitantly. "Good morning, Shizuru."

I continued to trudge towards my usual desk. "Morning."

"Are… are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm okay," I said quietly. I sat down on the chair with some difficulty and massaged my right knee, making a mental note to get a stool to rest my leg on later.

Erstin approached the desk timidly. "Shizuru, you and Kuga-san…"

Her voice trailed off as soon as she saw the look on my face. She got the hint that I didn't want to talk about it.

That is, the fact that Natsuki and I haven't spoken to each other since that evening at the restaurant three days ago.

I reached for a file and tried to focus on the wall of text in front of me. But no matter how I tried, my eyes just glossed over the words, while my mind kept replaying what had happened then.

"Shizuru!"

I spun around and leaned against the shoji. Natsuki stood before me, panting lightly. She glared me, but I refused to budge. Finally she rushed forward, pushing me roughly aside and sliding open the door.

John Smith was already gone.

When she turned back to look at me, her face was coloured a deep red. Only this time, it was due to rage.

Her pale hands gripped the cloth of her kimono, which was already in slight disarray.

"Why did you have to do that?" Her words were slow but her voice was positively deadly.

I inhaled sharply, bracing myself for the storm. "As I said, he's a lecher—"

"It's just a dinner! Do you know how difficult it was to arrange for dinner with him?" She was practically yelling at me. "Do you know who he is?"

I narrowed my eyes. My blood, too, was starting to boil. "I know that he's some famous director, but—"

"He is a world-class director! It's rare to be able to work with someone like him!"

Though I was itching to retort, I saw how infuriated Natsuki was. I wasn't in the least interested in getting into a fight with her. I flicked my gaze to the floor, choosing to clamp my jaws tightly together instead.

She took in a deep breath, but her words still came out shaky. "You… You know how important it is for me to do this."

My eyes widened. I looked up at the girl, who had wrapped her arms around herself protectively.

A pained expression.

And I instantly understood.

"All of this… is for your mother?"

Natsuki did not say anything further, and merely averted her gaze.

So that's why she wanted to be in John Smith's movie? Because she wanted to prove herself to her mother?

I pressed my palms against my face. This was not what I had expected.

"I know it's important to you… but…"

But what I did was right, wasn't it? Tell me I was right.

My voice rose as an inexplicable anger struck me. "But it doesn't mean that you have to go to such lengths!"

The girl jerked her head towards me and I could once more see the cold fire burning brightly in those emerald eyes. "How many times must I tell you? It's just a dinner!"

Just as I was about to retaliate, she snapped again. "And why do you care so much anyway?"

I was stunned into silence.

Yes, why do I care so much? I'm just her personal assistant; it's not my place to decide whom she has dinner with.

As I stood dumbly in front of her, she took a small step towards me.

Her gaze seemed to soften as she repeated her words, in what was almost a murmur. "Tell me… Why do you care?"

"I…" I bowed my head, and scratched my eyebrow uncertainly. "I…"

I don't know.

I don't know why I'm feeling this way.

There must be a reason… What is the reason?

I repeatedly clenched and released my fists, frustrated by the mess of thoughts in my head.

For what seemed like a very long time, we did not utter another word. And it felt as if the silence was slowly suffocating me.

The reason is…

At last, I dared to meet her eyes.

"W—we are friends, aren't we? I just don't want anything bad to happen to you."

Despite a rather… _rocky_ start to our relationship, we could be considered friends, right? Or at least that was what I believed.

The girl's eyes widened, as a mixture of emotions seemed to flicker across her face. But before I could decipher what they meant, she had relaxed into an impassive expression.

She retreated a few steps backwards.

"Friends…" she muttered softly.

And her piercing gaze suddenly lost its intensity.

"Thank you, but," her voice was icy, "I can take care of myself."

She then left the room.

The next day, I was summoned by Midori to her office.

I sat listlessly in front of her desk, staring at the surprisingly spotless wooden surface.

How did things turn out like this?

Was I wrong?

The sound of the door opening interrupted my thoughts. I scrunched my shoulders rigidly as the manager strode into the office, taking her seat across the desk from me.

Midori leaned her elbows on the table, clasping her hands together and resting her chin on them.

"Shizuru."

I continued to admire the wooden grain of the table. "Yes."

"I've heard about what happened yesterday."

My hands, which were fastened on the edge of my chair, instinctively tightened their grip. There is no doubt about it. I'm going to be fired for my impudence.

To my own amazement, however, I began to calmly contemplate whether I had saved enough to pay for Tomoe's rent. After doing some quick mental calculations, I concluded that I would be still kind of short. But I guess I would just have to find another way.

"I have also heard about Mr Smith's… _reputation_."

I blinked, and finally lifted my head to look at her.

"If I had known about the dinner, I would have asked someone to accompany Natsuki."

"So I don't blame you, Shizuru, for doing whatever you did. You had her interests at heart."

I fidgeted uncomfortably in my seat. Even though I was relieved that I wouldn't be fired, the fact that Midori had not reprimanded me somehow made me feel worse.

The manager leaned back against her chair tiredly and sighed. "That said… Starring in his movie would have done wonders for her career."

I frowned, the guilt hitting me with full force.

That's right, someone could have just accompanied her. There was no need for me to slam the door in John Smith's face.

At the end of the day, it was still my fault. I had overreacted and overstepped the boundaries.

I rose from my seat. "If it's okay with you, Midori, I would like to take the rest of the day off."

The unusually solemn manager raised her eyebrows slightly, before giving me a curt nod of understanding. I immediately excused myself from her office.

First, I need to make some phone calls. Then, I need to get something.

After doing the necessary, I found myself at the 68th floor of a towering skyscraper. Apparently John Smith was so enamoured with Japan and keen on making a movie that he had a base set up in the heart of Tokyo.

I strode briskly into the impressive-looking reception area, guarded by a similarly impressive-looking receptionist.

An American? European? I'm about to find out.

"I would like to speak to Mr John Smith, please," I said in English.

"And you are?"

Okay, British.

"My name's Shizuru Fujino, and I'm Ms Natsuki Kuga's personal assistant."

The lady eyebrows twitched slightly as she dialed a number and spoke discreetly to someone on the phone.

She covered the mouthpiece with one hand and turned her attention to me. "I'm sorry, Mr Smith is busy."

I pressed my palms against the shiny counter. "I just need five minutes with him."

She removed her hand and continued speaking into the phone. I strained my ears, but could not make out the conversation.

"He's in a meeting right now, I don't know when it'll be over."

I bit my lip. "What about tomorrow? Will he be in tomorrow?"

"I'm sorry, Ms Fujino, but he'll leaving for the airport tonight."

"He's going overseas? When will he be back then?"

"I'm not sure. I suggest that you leave him a message—"

"No. No, I've to speak to him personally."

The receptionist furrowed her brows, clearly annoyed that I was being such a pest.

"I see," she said with a small shrug, "I guess you'll have to wait then."

I nodded, and was about to walk towards the seats when she called out to me.

"Ah, Ms Fujino?"

I turned around.

"Mr Smith said that if you wish to wait for him, you should do so outside the meeting room. He sometimes leaves by the back door, and he doesn't have time to wait for you."

I frowned. "I understand," I said evenly before following her lead, passing through a few corridors until we arrived at a grey door. I could hear muffled sounds of laughter coming from inside the room.

"Please wait here."

"Yes. Thank you."

The receptionist turned to stalk back to her guardhouse. After she had disappeared around the corner, I leaned against the wall and sighed.

Guess it's going to be a long wait.

"Such a jerk…" I grumbled under my breath as I shifted my weight to my left foot. I checked my watch. I've been standing outside the room for three hours.

The corridor was narrow and people kept walking by, thus as much as I wished to, I couldn't just plop myself on the floor. In the end I could only alternate between pacing up and down the long corridor and leaning against the wall in a half-crouching manner, earning curious – and increasingly sympathetic – looks from the passersby.

Truth be told, thoughts of leaving appeared in my mind from time to time as I waited impatiently. But every time I recalled the look Natsuki gave me before leaving the restaurant, I would immediately resolve to persist in waiting.

She had looked… sad.

As for John Smith, there was no good reason why I couldn't have waited at the reception area, or why a presumably business meeting was punctuated with so much guffaws.

He was obviously getting back at me.

But I wasn't going to give up.

I'll wait. Whatever it takes.

Just as the fourth hour slipped by, the doorknob turned with a click. I instantly straightened myself up, wincing as a sharp pain shot up my right leg.

"It was a pleasure meeting you today, Smith-san," a man said, "I learnt a lot about dog breeds from you."

They were discussing such things? !

Five middle-aged men in business suits stepped out from the room, giving a polite bow at the exit before striding past me.

Whatever.

I quickly stretched my arm out to stop the door from closing and walked into the room.

John Smith was at the other end of the large room, at the head of a long table. He had been rising halfway from his seat when I entered. Upon seeing me, however, he grinned and fell back into his chair.

"Ah, Ms Kuga's personal assistant," he exclaimed cheerfully, "I didn't think that you were still waiting. If I knew, I would have tried to end the meeting earlier."

I resisted rolling my eyes. Just suck it up, Shizuru, you don't want to offend him further.

"So, how can I help you today? I assume that you didn't wait so long just to, err, _slam_ the door in my face again?"

The smug look on his face annoyed me to no end, but my expression remained placid.

Let's just get this over and done with.

"I apologise for my behaviour, Mr Smith. I shouldn't have been rude to you."

The man raised his eyebrows. "Oh, what a surprise! I thought you came here to tell me off."

Oh, how I wish I am. And I would have brought guns, too. _Big_ _guns_.

I bit my tongue to stop myself from lashing out at him and took a deep breath.

"Again, Mr Smith, I apologise for what happened. The whole incident was solely my fault, and I hope that it does not affect Ms Kuga's chances in your new movie."

The man broke into a smirk, as if I had just said the most amusing thing ever.

"Well, I don't know," he replied airily as he stroked his tie. "Some things are not easily forgotten, and I've to say, I've a pretty good memory."

He gazed at the ceiling thoughtfully before leaning forward on the table. "I would, however, reconsider… if you keep me company for the rest of this evening."

"If you make me happy then…" He gave me a wink.

I bunched up my fists and narrowed my eyes. He was clearly bent on humiliating me.

"Keep it up, mister," I said through gritted teeth, "and I'll really think that you're a sleazebag."

I took out a DVD from my bag and sent it sliding across the long table. "But if you're really a world-class director as they say you are, you won't let talent go to waste."

With that, I turned and marched out of the meeting room.

And there has been no news since.

"Ah… It's Kuga-san…"

My melancholic reminiscence was brought to an end by frantic whispers and the sudden change in the studio's atmosphere. I sat up in my seat and peered towards the door. As expected, Ice Maiden stomped into the room. The members of the crew evidently sensed that she was even grouchier than usual, and scrambled to keep a safe distance from her.

I let out a barely audible sigh. She's still angry with me.

Watching the girl make her way to her dressing room without giving a single glance in my direction, I realized that I had just lost my appetite for the third day in a row.

Before I could delve into those unhappy thoughts again, my phone rang.

"Hello?" I said sullenly.

"Shizuru?"

Oh no…. Not now.

"Yes, Haruka. What's the matter?"

"You left without a word this morning. Are you okay?"

I ran my hand wearily through my hair; I really didn't feel like talking about it.

"I'm alright, don't worry."

"Really?" Came Haruka's disbelieving voice. She paused.

"What about your leg?"

Crap. I pinched my nose bridge. "My leg? It's fine."

"Don't lie to me. I saw you limping."

I sighed for the hundredth time in three days. Ever since a motorcycle accident a few years back, I haven't been able to stand on my feet for too long a stretch without my injured right knee flaring up. John Smith probably didn't realize the true extent of his little punishment.

"It's swollen, isn't it?"

I kept quiet.

It was my best friend's turn to exhale heavily. "I don't understand why you had to do it. I mean, yes, you pissed the guy off, but he's obviously a dirty bastard. What he did to you proves just that."

Just then, I was distracted by an outburst of excited squeals from the other side of the studio. I removed the phone slightly from my ear, to see that several members of the crew had swarmed around a dumbstruck Natsuki, gushing enthusiastically.

"Congratulations Kuga-san!"

"I'm so happy for you, Kuga-san!"

"Selected for Smith-san's movie! How exciting!"

The dark-haired girl in the midst of the well-wishers eventually snapped out of her daze. She craned her neck over the ring of people, glancing quickly about the studio.

I pressed the phone back against my ear. "It's okay, Haruka…"

After some searching, she finally found me.

Our eyes met, and for the first time in three days, she smiled at me.

"…because it's worth it."

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><p>AN: Just a _little_ bit more... -.-"

The world is getting increasingly hazy. Before I break out in a song-and-dance routine, I should probably crash in my bed.

Goodnight everybody. Have a good week ahead :)


	14. It's a little problematic

A/N: So, after spending two weeks recuperating from my injury, suffering from sleep deprivation, getting nagged at by my violin teacher and flunking my Japanese test spectacularly...

I am finally REVIVED (Can ya see the fire? Can ya?)

Thanks to the reviewers for your words of encouragement. This chapter is dedicated to each of you :)

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><p><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>Disclaimer: Mai Hime, Mai Otome and all their characters belong to Sunrise. <strong>****************

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><p><strong>Chapter 14: It's a little problematic <strong>

"Crap… I'm late…" I muttered under my breath as I glanced nervously at my watch. Going to bed in the wee hours of the morning had caused me to oversleep. Midori isn't going to be pleased.

I scrambled towards the lift and jabbed the "up" button with my forefinger. I then folded my arms and watched impatiently as the lift made its slow descent – before getting stuck at the tenth floor.

Why oh why does a six-star hotel only have _one_ lift?

Another brief look at my watch and I grimaced. The manager might seem easygoing, but she's a real stickler for punctuality. At this rate, she's going to roast me over a pit.

I strode hastily to the other side of the lobby, where a large marble staircase was situated. I climbed a step, and paused.

Thanks to the medicine prescribed by Dr Sagisawa, the swelling in my right knee had gone down quickly. Nevertheless, she did warn against overexertion in the short term.

I'm sorry, doc, but I'm not going to get myself barbecued.

With a wry grin, I raced up seven floors to the grand ballroom.

"O—oh!"

I snapped my head up at the exclamation to realise that I had nearly crashed into the petite girl before me. "Sorry, Erstin," I said as I went around her.

"It's okay…" The blonde answered hesitantly. "Good morning, Shizuru."

I continued to stride towards the table tucked in a corner of the spacious ballroom. "Morning," I replied before frowning a little. Something told me that this scene was oddly familiar, yet different.

"Hey Ers," I asked as I did a quick survey of the place, "is Midori here yet?"

"Nope."

"Hoo…" I sighed in relief as I collapsed on the chair. And to add to my joy, my right knee was not acting up despite the earlier sprint. Except for a slightly numb feeling at the kneecap, everything else was fine.

Lucky me.

Erstin approached the table with an amused look on her face. "You're really happy today."

"I am?" I said, even as I broke into a big smile.

"Yes. A huge difference from last week." The girl gave me a knowing smirk before walking away.

I stretched back lazily on the chair.

Life's good when no one's angry with you.

As I gazed at the bright lights on the ceiling, I started to hum the tune that has been stuck in my head since last night.

What had happened then seemed almost surreal now.

You see, there was some on-location filming to be done at the grand ballroom of the hotel, and I had been tasked by Midori to oversee the preparations. It was almost 11 pm when I finally stepped out of the tiny office located on the same floor. While the others had long left for the day, I had stayed behind to finish some administrative matters.

I trudged along the dimly lit corridor, idly wondering whether excessive yawning could cause jaw dislocation. Just as I was about to round the corner, however, I spotted a sliver of light extending from the slit between the slightly ajar doors of the ballroom.

I frowned. Didn't I tell Tate to switch off all the lights before leaving?

I made my way grudgingly to the entrance, where I pushed the heavy doors open. And stopped in my tracks.

Under the dazzling chandeliers, was a girl dancing.

Classical music played softly in the background as she twirled on the polished floor, completely oblivious to my presence. Her eyes were closed in deep concentration while her arms were raised in front of her, as if holding an invisible person.

I leaned against the doorway, admiring the way her dark hair swirled around her as she glided across the ballroom to the rhythm of the music. Any other person would have seemed strange dancing by himself, but not when it came to her.

When it came to her… it became fascinating.

At last, I stepped into the light. "Boo."

My voice echoed through the hall and the girl literally jumped.

"Shi—Shizuru!" Natsuki shot me a glare from the center of the ballroom. "You gave me a fright!"

I laughed. "At least you didn't end up with your butt on the floor," I said lightly, recalling a certain incident in the studio. It had seemed so long ago.

The girl's pale face regained some colour as she tried to stop herself from breaking out into a smile. Not very successfully, I must say.

"What are you doing here? It's already late," she asked as she walked towards me.

"Right back at you. What are _you _doing here, superstar?"

Based on her schedule, she should have been occupied with several appointments and appearances during the day. I would have expected her to be sleeping at home by now.

"I asked you first," Natsuki huffed, folding her arms.

I rolled my eyes. Ice Maiden can be such an Ice Baby sometimes. "To answer your majesty's question, I'm in charge of ensuring that everything is in order for the filming tomorrow."

"So would you deign to reply now?"

The girl frowned, not really understanding my last sentence. But of course, she wasn't going to request an explanation.

She made a guess. "I'm practicing for tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" I repeated, before being reminded of the plans for the next day. "Oh..." I said as I grinned slyly, "the ballroom scene."

That's right, ladies and gentlemen. If you haven't deduced by now, our Ice Maiden here was supposed to dance with Takeda in what was considered _the_ crucial scene in the movie. In other words, the scene that was calculated to make all the audience, female or male, swoon alike.

But hasn't she been practising intensively with the dance teacher for almost a week?

She's really hardworking.

I stepped towards the girl, who had in the meantime seated herself on top of the grand piano.

"May I?" I said as I stretched out my hand, bowing slightly.

Natsuki blinked.

I tilted my head a little to the side.

"Well, I'm sure you would like someone to dance with instead of waltzing around with a phantom."

The girl glowered at me but I merely chuckled. "C'mon," I said encouragingly as I took her hands and pulled her off the piano. I led her to the center of the ballroom, where I put one of her hands on my shoulder. At the same time, I reached around her to rest my palm against her back.

"Wh—what?" Natsuki choked as her face reddened. She hurriedly retreated backwards, removing her hands from me.

"Aren't you practising for tomorrow's scene? So I get to be Takeda right? I'm taller too."

The girl let out an indignant puff. Nonetheless she obediently closed the distance between us.

"Try not to step on my toes though," I added with a grin.

She snorted. "What makes you think you can dance better than me?"

"Mmm... I don't know," I stared at the other end of the ballroom thoughtfully. "Maybe the fact that I took part in dancesport for a few years?"

Natsuki mulled over my words for a moment before her eyes widened. "I didn't know you liked to dance."

"Hmm? Well, my mom had insisted that I learn ballroom dancing…"

I grabbed her hands again. "…although I much prefer hip-hop."

"And this," I pressed my hand against her back, pushing her body against me, "is how you do the waltz."

I drew back slightly, smirking at the sight of the deep red tinge on the girl's cheeks. Geez. Someone has a really good blood circulation.

"Idio—"

Before she could complain, I tightened my grasp on her further, causing her to gasp.

"And... one, two, three, one, two, three…"

She was resistant at first, but after a few minutes she gradually relaxed and got into the groove.

I was pretty impressed. She had only been taking lessons for a while, but other than being a little stiff, her movements were smooth and elegant.

"Shi...zuru."

"Hmm?"

"You've heard? About... John Smith's movie?"

I raised my eyebrows.

"Oh yes. I haven't congratulated you yet. Congratula—"

"Was it because of you?"

"Me? What do you mean?"

"When he called Midori to tell her that I was selected, he said something weird."

"Weird?"

"He said... 'Ms Kuga should be thankful that her assistant has such a good stamina.'"

My eyebrows twitched. Why, that ass—

On seeing the flash of irritation on my face, a mixture of worry and horror clouded her expression. "Shizuru, what did you…"

I nearly smacked my forehead in exasperation. Damn guy deliberately made it sound so wrong.

"I didn't do anything!" I interjected quickly, lest she got the wrong idea about what happened. She still looked unconvinced.

"I'm serious. He just made me stand outside the meeting room to wait for him."

"Wait for him?" She continued to eye me suspiciously. "For how long?"

I blinked. "Umm... A while?"

Her emerald eyes narrowed, and at once the dark aura reminiscent of our quarrel at the restaurant began to swirl around her. "How long? Tell me."

I swallowed hard. I knew better than to get her riled up again. "Ah... About four hours?"

She stopped dancing immediately.

"Was that why your knee was hurting?"

She knows about it? And I thought I had done a pretty good job of hiding it.

"A—ah?" I released her right hand and waved my hand dismissively. "It's nothing, really."

Natsuki growled, her anger taking me by surprise. She twisted herself out of my grasp and stomped towards the exit.

"H—hey!" I said as I grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to me. "It was so difficult to get selected for the role. You're not going to blow it now, are you?"

"But—"

I took the opportunity to secure my arm firmly around her waist, in case she decided to run off again.

I flashed her the warmest smile I could manage.

"Besides, it doesn't hurt anymore."

She appeared unsure for a moment, but she was soon swept up in the music. We danced in silence.

Eventually, she mumbled. "Thank you."

I exhaled lightly. "You don't have to thank me, I was the source of the trouble anyway."

The girl didn't say anything, staring intently at our moving feet instead.

I decided to steer our conversation in another direction.

I coughed and let out a dramatic sigh. "You know… I'm your personal assistant, yet I'm standing in for dance practice. I should really ask for a pay raise."

Ice Maiden looked up at me.

"All you think about is money... Are you going to be a businesswoman or something?" she chided, although her eyes carried a glimmer of mirth.

"No, I'm currently studying Architecture."

Natsuki raised her eyebrows, clearly surprised by the revelation.

"Why? I don't look like the arty-farty type?"

"Not arty, but—"

"Okay stop, stop," I interrupted hastily. I had completely set that up myself.

She chuckled. "Tell me more about it."

"Tell you more about it?" I said as I extended my arm outwards. The girl slid to my left right on cue, performing a sleek spin as I reeled her back into my arms. "Hmm…"

"One of my favorite architects is Tadao Ando. Have you been to the Church of the Light in Osaka?"

Natsuki shook her head slightly.

"It's one of his most famous designs. The entire building is essentially a concrete cube."

"The wall at one end of the hall is formed by the edges of four slabs of concrete, leaving a gap in between."

"So when the sun shines in, it forms a cross made of light."

I closed my eyes.

"Such clean, beautiful lines."

"That said, I like the Church on Water in Hokkaido even more."

Our movements became smaller and smaller.

"I've seen a picture of it, in winter. The front of the hall slides open, revealing the cross in the middle of the frozen water, set against the backdrop of a forest..."

Eventually, we stood still.

"It's breathtaking."

I opened my eyes.

The girl's eyes were lidded, while her head rested on my shoulder.

She had fallen asleep.

"Am I that boring?" I gave a pout. Nonetheless, I knew it was more likely that she had been worn out by days of non-stop practising.

"Hey," I called softly. But instead of waking up, she let out a contented hum and buried her head deeper within the crook of my neck.

I fidgeted a little, feeling my face heat up for some unknown reason.

This girl's really incredible. I've never seen anyone sleep while standing up!

Before I knew it, my right hand had detached itself from her back and reached upward from behind her.

I patted her head gently. "Natsuki."

She doesn't stir. Logic dictated that I either call louder or smack her awake, but I did neither.

Instead, after some hesitation, I placed my hand lightly on her dark hair, running my fingers through the soft strands that cascaded down her back.

A part of me doesn't want to wake her.

Maybe we can stay like this a little longer.

"Shizuuurrruuu…"

I snapped out of my trance on hearing the singsong voice, to find a redhead perched on the table next to me. As per normal, she winked at me by way of greeting.

"Wh—what?" I sputtered, "N—Nao?"

"What are you thinking about, Shizuru?" she asked, her forefinger drawing small circles in the air as she pointed it at me. "You're grinning like an idiot."

I opened and closed my mouth a few times in shock.

"H—huh? I'm not th—thinking of anythi—ng."

However, the fact that I was tripping over my words was a dead giveaway. Why do I feel so embarrassed anyway?

And was I really grinning like an idiot?

"Reeeaaallly?" Nao said, peering at me deviously.

It took me ten seconds and I finally found my long lost composure. "Yes. I was spaced out, that's all," I replied calmly as I straightened myself up on the chair and took a sip from the can of green tea sitting on my desk.

"Oh, I thought you were thinking about Kuga."

I nearly spat my tea out.

"W—what?" was all I managed to utter as I frantically checked that my things were not inadvertently subject to a "shower of blessing".

Nao giggled, swinging her legs back and forth. "Anyway, keep your eyes peeled for the filming later. It's gonna be exciting," she said, almost too gleefully.

Oh yes, of course. Natsuki and Takeda are performing the ballroom scene today. The mere thought of it, however, caused an unpleasant feeling to rise in the pit of my stomach.

Ugh. What is it now?

Nao suddenly lifted her head, looking past me. "Well, well…" she drawled, a smirk forming on her pretty face.

I turned around in my seat and my jaw dropped.

A distance away, stood Natsuki and Takeda, who had evidently just stepped out from their respective dressing rooms.

Natsuki was clothed in a dark red evening dress, the satiny material dipping dangerously low behind to show off her flawless back. Takeda, on the other hand, was wearing a smart black tuxedo complete with a tailcoat.

They looked good together.

That Takeda… sure is lucky.

The unsettling emotion I was feeling seemed to surge with greater force, and I had to repress the urge to walk out of the ballroom. As I stubbornly refused to budge, I realised that I had been getting those weird feelings more and more frequently. I hadn't figured them out, but something told me that the answer was just around the corner.

It also told me that I wouldn't like it much.

Nao scooted closer to me and hooked her left arm around my shoulder. "I must say… Kuga looks pretty hot today, huh?"

My mouth felt really dry. "Yeah." I gulped.

The girl in question, in the meantime, was clearly uncomfortable with the extra attention she was garnering from the love-struck people surrounding her. She shifted her weight restlessly while the makeup artist and hairstylist continued to fuss over her.

"Shizuru."

"Hmm?" I said distractedly, my gaze still glued to the even-hotter-than-usual Ice Maiden.

Nao pulled on the back of my shirt, like a cat hoisting her kitten. "Aren't you her personal assistant? Go!" she commanded as she gave me a hard shove.

"Wha—, okay, okay!" I grumbled as I staggered forward.

I made my way reluctantly across the ballroom, extremely conscious that my pulse was quickening by the minute.

What is wrong with you? Didn't you just talk to her normally yesterday?

Just as I reached Natsuki, the makeup artist and hairstylist decided that they had fussed enough over her for the time being and left.

I cleared my throat, causing the girl to turn her attention to me expectantly.

"Hi," I said, trying to speak as casually as possible, but what came out sounded like a squeak.

I furrowed my brows irritably. That's one word down. 3,456 more to go. Hurrah.

I took a deep breath, fully intent on moving on to a decent topic, like _work_, but apparently my evil subconscious had other plans.

"Y—you look really goo—d in this dress," I blurted out.

What was really running through my mind, though, was that she was absolutely _gorgeous_.

Whoa. I don't think I've ever used this word on anyone before?

And why have I taken to stammering like Takeda?

Natsuki's eyes widened for an instant. Nevertheless, she didn't say anything, offering only a small smile and a pinkish tint on her cheeks in return as she fidgeted with the cloth of her dress.

Talk about work now, talk about work!

My hand reached up to rub the back of my neck. "So, uh, boss, need me to do anything?"

The girl's lips parted, as if she was about to speak.

"Ku—Kuga-san, do you need anything?"

Oh great. Here comes the original stammer-er. How the heck does he have such excellent timing each time?

As Takeda stepped between us to talk to Natsuki, I resisted letting out an annoyed sigh. "I'll get going then," I mumbled as I walked away.

Since the stars were dressed and ready, the horde of extras that had been hired to act as the other "dancers" began to file into the ballroom.

In less than 10 minutes, it was all systems go. A member of the crew swiftly positioned himself at the front of the set.

"Scene 29, take 1."

"Three, two, one… action!"

The chamber orchestra struck up the melody which had been lingering in my head, and all at once, the ballroom was filled with couples dancing to the beat. The members of the crew stood on the sidelines, everyone clearly enraptured by the sight of that one couple waltzing amongst the others.

I scrunched my shoulders as I leaned against the pillar. She looked even more graceful today, breezing through the steps with such ease and fluidity that would put more seasoned dancers to shame.

Only this time, I wasn't the one dancing with her.

"And… cut!"

"Excellent, Masashi-san, Kuga-san!" the director exclaimed loudly. "Especially Kuga-san, you were wonderful!" Amazement was practically oozing out of his pores.

Natsuki gave a polite nod of thanks with her signature aloofness. She appeared not to care much for what the director said, but I could tell that she was pleased.

Despite my gloominess, I felt the corners of my lips quirking up involuntarily.

Even though filming was taking place, there were others things which I had to do. With some effort, I tore my gaze from the girl and went about my duties.

When I returned to the ballroom an hour later, I was carrying a huge pile of assorted items, including books, files and a small sack. I wasn't sure what they were meant for, but Midori had asked for them so I could only oblige.

As I strode along the perimeter of the hall, I saw that the cast was taking a break. Natsuki rested on her chair, her forehead covered with a thin sheen of sweat. The makeup artist dabbed it off gingerly, while another member of the crew passed a bottle of water to her.

She was reaching for the bottle, when a voice rang out.

"Okay people, places!"

Natsuki shook her head at the boy holding the bottle and dutifully walked to the middle of the ballroom. Takeda was already there waiting. He smiled shyly as he took her hands, while her face remained impassive.

"Scene 32, take 1."

"Three, two, one… action!"

The ballroom was once again alive with activity as the music played.

As the way to my table was blocked, I decided to wait where I was and watch.

"Kuga-san, shift to your right… that's it, that's it," the director spoke into his loudhailer.

"Now, pause… and lean forward towards Masashi-san."

My eyes widened as my body tensed up.

Takeda and Natsuki had ceased dancing in the middle of the ballroom, even as the other couples continued to whirl around them. It was as if they were standing in the eye of a tornado.

"Gaze into each other's eyes… like you're torn as to whether to move closer or away…"

Is there such a scene?

"Masashi-san, tilt your head down towards her… Kuga-san, tilt your head up a little…"

I didn't know there was such a scene.

I stopped breathing. Or should I say, I couldn't breathe.

"Move closer… and closer…"

Their faces were barely inches apart.

A voice was yelling in my head to look away, but it seemed that my body was temporarily disconnected from my brain. I was completely frozen, whilst my insides felt like they were tangled up in a knot. A knot that tightened with every second.

That's too close. Far too close.

No—

A loud clatter resonated through the hall, bringing the filming to an abrupt halt.

It was only a moment later that I realised that whatever I was holding had fallen onto the floor.

My eyes quickly scanned the ballroom. Everyone was staring at me. Including Natsuki.

I immediately dived to pick the items up in my arms and jerked back onto my feet. "I—I'm so sorry," I apologized profusely as I executed a deep bow, not daring to meet anyone in the eye.

Clutching the items tightly, I turned and escaped from the ballroom, before running blindly along the corridor and down the stairs.

My heart was pounding so hard, I thought it might burst.

Just as I was about to reach the second floor, my legs gave way and I slumped against the wall, sliding down slowly to sit on the carpeted ground.

I need to breathe.

Breathe.

Breathe, dammit!

I was still panting as I tilted my head back to rest on the cool, concrete wall. My arms relaxed at last, releasing the cargo from their vice-like grip.

As the haze in my mind gradually dissipated, I jammed my hand in my jeans pocket and fished out my phone.

My hands were shaking as I dialed a number I knew by heart.

Please, please pick up.

"Hello?"

"He—llo? Haruka?" I said weakly.

"Shizuru?" My best friend's voice was filled with concern. "What is wrong?"

"I… I…"

I covered my eyes with my hand.

The sinking feeling that I get whenever I see her with Takeda. The way I'm constantly reminded of her smile. The fact that my daily mood is hopelessly tied to her every move.

It has all become clear to me.

"I have a problem."

* * *

><p>AN: THE END (again)

Yes, you read right, this is the end... of the second arc!

I'm kinda ecstatic because... does it mean... that I can _actually _finish this story? Hahaha.

If you kids are good, the FINAL arc will begin next week. Yep.

Goodnight, all! Have a good week ahead :D


	15. Crush

A/N: Oh, boy. Someone should really remind me not to jinx myself by saying that I would update in a week's time. Because right after I said it, _everything_ became hell-bent on _keeping me_ from doing so.

Still, I'm a woman of my word, right? RIGHT.

To the reviewers, thanks so much. I'm happy that you guys are enjoying the story so far. As we move towards the grand finale, I hope that you will understand that I've very specific ideas about how the story develops. Therefore... you can protest till the cows come home and I won't budge. Savvy? ;)

And with that, Welcome to the Final Arc.

* * *

><p><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>Disclaimer: Mai Hime, Mai Otome and all their characters belong to Sunrise. <strong>****************

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 15: Crush <strong>

_Are you alright?_

I snapped my phone shut, leaning against the couch with a sigh.

"Not gonna reply her?" Haruka asked from her favourite spot at the couch opposite me.

I let out another sigh.

"I don't know what to say," I said dully as I slumped to my left, collapsing on the soft leather completely.

My best friend shifted in her seat, carefully placing the comic book which she had been reading on the small coffee table. I idly noted that it was the sixth volume she had devoured since morning.

"You can't avoid her forever. And even if the doctor's a quack, he can't keep providing you with medical certificates."

I rolled my eyes. I was too lazy to sit up, so I continued to lie on my belly, wriggling a little sideways while stretching my arm towards the coffee table. My hand groped around blindly for a moment before I finally found my phone.

I flipped the cover open and scrolled to the "reply" button.

_I'm okay, just feeling a little unwell. _

I pressed the "send" button, and stared at the screen sullenly. It irritated me to no end that I was lying to her. But technically I wasn't lying, right? I was indeed "unwell".

To my surprise, a beep sounded, signaling another new message from "Natsuki Ku-Growl".

_Will you be coming tomorrow? _

I puffed my cheeks and closed the phone.

Ever since my rather undignified escape from the ballroom, I had decided to call in sick at work. The first day came and went peacefully. Today, however, Ice Maiden sent me a text message.

"It'll be so… awkward…" I buried my head in the pile of cushions, such that my voice came out muffled. Awkward was an understatement, really. I wasn't sure whether my body would even function, given that I knew that I lik— Well, you know what I mean.

"But you've to work right? You need the money."

I silently cursed my best friend's voice of reason. But as much as I hated to agree, Haruka was right. I have to go back to work sooner or later.

When I did not respond, she decided to carry on. "And honestly, I don't even know why you took so long to realize it."

I turned my face to the side and looked at the blonde. "Gee, Haruka, thanks," I answered dryly, "it's not as if you decided to enlighten me or something."

Her mouth gaped as she desperately tried to think of a comeback, and I waited patiently for her to astound me. She eventually closed her mouth.

As expected.

"Okay," she admitted a tad sulkily, "I guess you're right, I didn't see that coming either."

"But thinking back, it seems so obvious. I don't think I've seen you so interested in another person before," Haruka said as she reached for the box of donuts sitting on the coffee table. She picked one coated with frosted sugar and took a bite.

"Really?" I mumbled glumly. Not that it mattered now, seeing how I didn't have a say in it in the first place. It just… happened.

Having spent the past two days reflecting on the issue, I concluded that I wasn't so much disturbed by the fact that she's a girl, but by the fact that she was both _my __boss_ and _the__ Ice __Princess__ of __Japan_.

Other than to say that I've awfully good taste, I wasn't sure how to console myself.

I flipped on my back, grabbing a cushion and hugging it.

"Haruka…"

"Mmm?"

"You're… okay with this?"

The blonde raised her eyebrows as she continued to chomp on her food. "You mean the fact that you like a girl?"

I twitched slightly at the word "like".

"Please, Shizuru," she said, sounding affronted by my question, "I've known you long and well enough to not judge you just by that."

I smiled despite myself.

"Anyway, it's probably just a crush. It'll go away eventually."

This had me scrambling to sit up on the couch, although I continued to hold the cushion captive in my arms.

"Aren't I a little too old for crushes?" I scoffed indignantly. Somehow I felt rather offended that she thought these feelings I had were merely something shallow.

"Well," Haruka's expression turned somber as she eyed me intently, "I do hope for your sake that it's just a crush, since you'll have to leave Japan soon."

The full force of her words had yet to hit me when the doorbell sounded.

Haruka stood up from her seat and strode towards the entrance. As the door swung open, it revealed a girl with a decidedly funky hairstyle.

"Hello guys!" Tomoe chirped as she flashed us a bright smile, which faltered when she sensed the tension in the room. "What's going on?"

"It's nothing," I said placidly as I brought my feet up to sit cross-legged on the couch. "So what trouble have you gotten into this time?"

My dear cousin pouted as she walked towards me. "What, can't I visit you because I miss you?"

"Yes you cannnnnn," I grinned as I pinched her cheek. She gave me a mock scowl in return.

"I heard from Nao that you've been on sick leave these two days. But you look plenty healthy to me," Tomoe said, raising an eyebrow.

"Hmm?" I coughed. "Ah, well, I've been having a migraine. You know how bad it gets. I'm a lot better now that I've taken the medicine though."

I glanced guiltily at Haruka, who had buried her nose within the pages of her comic book once more.

Tomoe looked a little unconvinced but she decided to drop the topic. "Anyway," she suddenly brightened up, "I've brought you guys juicy news!"

Both Haruka and I watched in part suspicion and part amusement as she rummaged in her very over-stuffed handbag. Eventually Tomoe straightened her back, and dumped several copies of colourful magazines on the coffee table.

"These just came out today!" she proclaimed with some pride.

My gaze immediately fell on the magazine on the top of the stack. Since the incident where I got Haruka to translate my speech to Ice Maiden (and thereafter fretted for days), I had been diligently studying Japanese in my free time. It was a royal pain in the posterior at first, but as I progressed things started getting easier. And unfortunately, that meant that I understood what was written on the cover of the magazine.

The headline read: Natsuki Kuga and Takeda Masashi's secret date under the moonlight!

As it turned out, I went on another day of sick leave.

The skies were unusually overcast when I finally returned to the studio, and I was in a similarly grumpy mood. Curiousity had gotten the better of me and I had pored through the magazines brought by Tomoe, which described in excruciating detail how Natsuki and Takeda were spotted meeting late in the night at Ueno Park. The articles even came with grainy photos, in which I could barely make out their faces.

As I said, _excruciating_.

"Good morning, Shizuru!" A bespectacled girl bounded into my field of vision. "Are you feeling better now?"

I managed a small smile. "Good morning, Irina. Yes I'm feeling, err, better, thanks."

"That's great!" The girl beamed. She was about to walk away, when she suddenly spun around. "Oh, I think I should let you know since you weren't around for the past few days. Kuga-san is holding a press conference today."

"Huh?"

"Haven't you heard? The magazines and tabloids are exploding with news about Kuga-san and Masashi-san!"

I could feel dark clouds gathering swiftly above my head. "Well yes I have…"

But Irina remained blissfully oblivious.

"Yes, there's such a big hoo-ha that she has to hold a press conference to clarify things!"

"You mean there's a need to clarify?" I deadpanned.

Irina shrugged. "I dunno, apparently."

Although I knew better than to trust the rumour mill, the widespread speculation that Natsuki and Takeda were having "secret dates under the moonlight" made me… _unhappy_, to say the least. On one hand, unless they were in some kind of sadomasochistic relationship (in which case I'm absolutely not interested to know), the probability that they were dating was almost zilch. On the other hand, you know what they say – Never Say Never.

This is so annoying.

I felt someone prod me in the arm. "Speak of the devil," Irina whispered excitedly.

My gaze drifted instinctively towards the door, landing on Ice Maiden who was striding into the studio. My brain immediately commanded my feet to do an about-turn, but my stiffened limbs could not move quickly enough, and she caught sight of me.

As she walked in my direction, Irina leaned close to my ear.

"I think she missed you."

I snapped my head around, giving the bespectacled girl a bewildered look. But before I could demand an explanation, she flashed me a mischievous grin and scurried off.

Leaving me rooted to the spot.

I gulped.

Okay, Shizuru, you're ready for this.

"Hey," Natsuki said softly, the corners of her lips quirking upwards.

And… _damn_. I saw my resolve wobbling like a plate of jelly bouncing on a trampoline.

I breathed in sharply, stuffing my fidgety hands into my jeans pockets.

Haven't you spent the whole of yesterday prepping for this?

Get. A. Grip. On. Yourself!

Thankfully, I was rather skilled at masking my emotions when necessary. "Good morning," I replied evenly, keeping my face devoid of any expression.

The girl raised her eyebrows slightly, seemingly surprised by my unusually cool reception. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes I'm better, thanks." I shuffled rigidly towards my beloved desk and she trailed behind me.

"You sure? You look… a little pale."

I bent over my desk to pick up a stack of paper. "Yes, I'm alright," I said, keeping my gaze fixed on the paper and praying that she would get the hint and move on.

"That's good…" she mumbled. "See you later then."

"Yeah, see you."

As she moved away, I felt a certain hollowness growing inside me.

_It's just a crush. It's just a crush. _

Those were the words which I kept repeating in my head as I travelled with the rest of the crew to Tokyo Big Sight.

On arriving at the convention centre, we were led to one of its many conference rooms. The room was big enough to fit more than a hundred people, and the chairs were already arranged neatly in rows.

Soon after we stepped into the premises, the place began to fill up rapidly, with groups of people streaming in from the two entrances located at the back. From what I could tell, they were reporters from various newspapers and magazines. I thought I even spotted a couple from BBC and CNN.

Is this piece of news of international interest? !

I was still in a state of amazement when a hand grabbed me by the wrist and dragged me through the door situated near the podium into the corridor.

The petite girl holding my hand wore a worried look on her face, and there were tiny beads of sweat coating her forehead.

"Erstin? What's wrong?"

"Do you know where Midori is?"

"Midori?" I raised my eyebrows. "I'm not sure. I haven't seen her today."

"Where is she…" Erstin murmured as she dialed a number on her phone. She held the phone to her ear, the furrows between her brows deepening as she did so.

"She's not picking up?"

"No. I've called her at least ten times. She should have called me back by now."

I groaned. While Midori can be rather, uh, unreliable at times, she wasn't the irresponsible sort. "She arranged for the press conference but she's nowhere to be found?"

Erstin pulled open the door slightly and peered through the gap. All the seats in the conference room have been occupied, and the place was bustling with chatter. "It's time… We'll just have to do without her." After a moment's hesitation, she pulled open the door and stepped into the room.

I followed her reluctantly.

The chatter grew even louder as the stars of the conference i.e. Takeda and Natsuki emerged from behind the door and made their way onto the podium. They sat behind a table, a distance apart, facing the audience. Takeda had a friendly smile on his face, while Ice Maiden gazed impassively at a particularly interesting spot on the table.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen," Erstin spoke in Japanese into the microphone mounted at the rostrum. "Thank you for joining us today."

"Without further ado, we will begin to take questions. Please raise your hand—"

Erstin had barely finished her sentence and dozens of hands were waving wildly in the air. I could see the girl gripping the microphone nervously. "Ah, Shukan Shincho, please."

The reporter quickly leapt to his feet. "I would like to ask Masashi-san."

"Are you and Kuga-san dating each other?"

Takeda blinked, clearly taken aback by the blunt question. He shifted in his seat and cleared his throat. "Ah… well… I…" He sneaked a look at the girl beside him.

I couldn't resist frowning. I was initially convinced that the whole dating thing was just baseless gossip, but seeing his present reaction, I was getting increasingly unsure. And irritated.

Are you or are you not?

"We… I…"

I glanced at Natsuki, who was visibly trying to restrain herself from glaring at him.

Now, in such a situation, Takeda could have seized the opportunity and denied the rumours flat out. Alternatively, he could have explained why in the world he was meeting Natsuki at Ueno Park in the middle of the night. Heck, he could even have excused himself and made a run for the washroom.

But of all the things he could have done, he did one thing: He _blushed_.

The reporters in the room were instantly whipped up into a frenzy. Some of them jumped to their feet, prompting others to do the same.

"Masashi-san! How long have you been dating Kuga-san?"

"Kuga-san! What do you like about Masashi-san?"

"Is it true that you will be getting married next year?"

"I heard that you bought a home together in Seoul!"

"Does that mean that you'll be retiring from showbiz soon, Kuga-san?"

"Everyone, please! A question at a time!" Erstin tried her best to maintain order, but her voice was quickly drowned out by the commotion. As Tate, Takumi and the other guys went forward to prevent the reporters from surging towards the podium, it became clear that the situation was getting out of control.

I quickly exited from the room and dialed Midori's number on my phone. Just like what Erstin experienced earlier, the phone rung incessantly but no one picked up.

Luckily, a man happened to pass by along the corridor. "Excuse me, sir!"

"I'm so sorry, but can I borrow your phone? I have an emergency."

At first the man was shocked, but after I threw in a smile for good measure, he passed his phone to me.

"Thanks so much," I said gratefully.

I punched in the same numbers again. This time, she picked up on the second ring.

"Hello?"

"Midori!" I hollered into the phone, "Where on earth are you? The reporters are going crazy!"

"Shi—Shizuru?" The manager stammered. She then muttered something under her breath. She must be cursing the fact that she had picked up my call.

"I—I…" Midori hemmed and hawed for a gazillion years before finishing her sentence. "I'm at the airport."

"Airport?" My eyes widened. "What are you doing there?"

"Well I… I'm going to Egypt."

"To where?" I exclaimed, pressing the phone tightly against my ear in the hope that I had misheard her. Is there anywhere in Japan which sounds remotely like "Egypt"?

Nope.

"Ah… E—gypt?"

I was temporarily at loss for words. "Wh—why are you going to Egypt? Didn't you know that the press conference is held today?"

All of a sudden, a loud wail blasted in my ear. "Shizuuurrruuu! I have to go to Egypt! The professor is going for an archeological expedition and it's going to take years before he comes back! I need to go with him!"

The professor? I racked my brains hard for the familiar-sounding term. Oh yes, he's this guy that Midori is ridiculously in love with.

"Wh—what? Then who's going to hold the press conference?"

Midori's wailing ceased as abruptly as it came. "Umm, you?"

"ME?" I shouted so loudly that some of the passersby turned to give me dirty looks. I lowered my voice at once.

"Are you serious?" I whispered harshly. "I can't— You can't just—"

As you can tell, I was absolutely flabbergasted. There's simply no way that I was going to go in and take care of that chaotic mess!

"How—how could you—"

"Umm…" she said timidly, "I'm really sorry?"

"I need to go on this trip! Otherwise I'll never get married!"

I finally found my voice. "No you can't! This is too sudden!"

"Please, Shizuru! My life's happiness is in your hands!"

Before I could retort that her "life's happiness" was condemning the rest of us to hell, I heard a woman's silky voice in the background.

"Oh! It's the last call for passengers! I've gotta go!"

"Wait! Don't you just leave me to pick up the piec—"

A click followed by a dull droning sound emitted from the phone. The darn woman had hung up on me.

"You are soooooo dead, Midori," I growled under my breath. I'm going to chop, chop, chop you into a thousand and one pieces.

After passing the phone back to its owner, who had been obviously startled by my conversation with the manager, I marched down the corridor towards the conference room.

I opened the door and at once I was engulfed in a sea of chaos.

It was even worse than before.

Most of the reporters had stood up from their seats, and were yelling and waving their hands around to get the attention of the stars. Some of the more enthusiastic ones had even charged towards the podium with microphones in their hands. It took several members of the crew to stop them from jabbing those devices at the stars.

My temples started throbbing immediately.

I glanced at the podium. Takeda was surveying the room with an expression of terror, trying to deal with the barrage of questions being fired at him. As for Natsuki, she was leaning against the back of her seat with her arms folded. Although she wore a stoic look on her face, I could perceive the glimmer of anxiety in her eyes.

Meanwhile, Erstin stood at the rostrum, her petite figure leaning over the surface as she struggled to keep the situation under control.

"Please take your seats!" The poor girl pleaded even as the ruckus grew.

I made my way briskly up the podium to stand in front of the table where the stars were seated. I bent forward, resting my palms on the wooden surface and looking at Takeda and Natsuki in turn.

"What's your explanation?"

They stared back at me blankly.

I exhaled heavily, deciding to cut to the chase and ask the question which answer I both least and most wanted to know. "Are you two dating?"

At this, Takeda started to redden once more. "I… err—we…"

My god. Not the stammering again. I rolled my eyes and turned my attention to Natsuki. "So?"

"Are you dating him?"

When she failed to reply, I clenched my jaw. It was as if my insides were being wrung. I inched closer towards her and lowered my voice, all the while eyeing her intensely. "Are you?"

I could sense the quizzical looks being thrown our way by the other people in the room, but I ignored them.

My heart pounded as an unreadable look spread over her face.

"Yes? No?" I croaked, certain that I was about to go mad with panic.

Perhaps she found my crestfallen expression amusing, for she actually broke out in a smile.

"What—" I fumed as I tried to straighten my back. It's not funny at all!

But she quickly caught my hands and pressed them back against the table, leaning even closer to me at the same time. "No."

"No, I'm not."

A skipped heartbeat. And I grinned like I had just struck the lottery.

"Okay, I'll deal with this."

I jumped off the podium, finding Irina from the crowd and pulling her aside. After asking her a few questions and committing her answers to my memory, I strode towards the rostrum, and put my hand on Erstin's shoulder. She spun around.

"Shi—Shizuru?" The girl looked like she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

"Let me handle this."

"But—"

"It's alright, Erstin. Trust me."

I nudged her and she left the podium hesitantly.

I took over her position in front of rostrum, resting my hands on the two sides. As my fingers drummed against the smooth surface, I kept silent.

A long time ago, my parents had taught me that in an argument, trying to out-shout your opponent is akin to adding oil to fire – sooner or later you'll end up with a sore throat (or a burning house). A much wiser way of getting your point across is to be chill. _Very__ chill_.

My fingers continued to tap out a steady rhythm while I admired the fine grain of the wood. This rostrum is very sturdy, I must say. Is this made in Japan? I wonder which company made it? And are their stuff affordable? Perhaps I can recommend it to Reito, since he's sourcing for new furniture…

As I continued with my evaluation of the rostrum, some of the reporters began to notice the presence of the strange foreigner standing in front of it. One by one they turned their attention to me, leading others to do the same, and thereby creating a domino effect.

Eventually, the noise quelled down to a deathly silence.

I lifted my head slowly, my gaze traveling across the room in a broad sweep. The many pairs of eyes were staring at me curiously.

Now, to put what I've learnt into use.

I took a deep breath.

"Good afternoon," I said in Japanese, "Thank you all for taking the time to attend this press conference."

I paused, to see that the eyes have widened. If they weren't paying full attention before, they were now.

My eyes scanned the room again as I took time to formulate the sentences in my mind.

"I understand that you have more questions for Masashi-san and Kuga-san," I said, keeping my voice level and smooth. "Unfortunately, that's all the time we have today. Masashi-san and Kuga-san will issue their official statements by this evening."

Another pause. Do I still have their attention?

Yes.

Good.

"If you have any further questions, please send them by email to us and we will try our best to reply you as soon as possible."

"We apologise for any inconvenience caused. And once again, thank you very much."

I took a step backwards before executing a deep bow. When I looked up, I broadened my smile.

Shizuru's bewitching-whatever-smile, level 89!

I heard some gasps. That should do the trick.

Satisfied that there wouldn't be resentful reporters taking it out in the news coverage tomorrow, I turned around, to see the rest staring at me with an awestruck expression.

Natsuki, in particular, had a glazed look on her face, her cheeks tinted with a familiar pinkish hue.

I reached out to her, and when she placed her hand tentatively on mine, I clasped it firmly.

"Let's get outta here."

* * *

><p>AN: Pheeew. I'm getting outta here too. Goodnight y'all! :D


	16. Miss Photogenic

A/N: Greetings, boys and girls.

How long has it been since the last update? (Punches numbers into the calculator) OHHH... Umm, let's not go into that ;)

For the benefit of those who hadn't checked out my profile, the delay is largely due to the fact that I've relocated from the sunny island of Singapore to the humid island of Hong Kong, where the pace is double-quick and deadlines are out of this world.

I've been doing 11, 12, 13 hour workdays, and it's kinda difficult to be writing when you're just struggling to keep your sanity.

To the reviewers and folks who dropped me PMs, I wasn't able to reply each of you this time, but thanks very much for your encouragement, well-wishes and thinly-veiled threats. They keep me writing :D

And so, let's go!

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: Mai Hime, Mai Otome and all their characters belong to Sunrise. <strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 16: Miss Photogenic <strong>

_I've been everywhere man  
>Looking for someone<br>Someone who can please me  
>Love me all night long<em>

_I've been everywhere man  
>Looking for you babe<br>Looking for you babe  
>Searching for you babe<em>

_Where have you been  
><em>'_Cause I never see you out  
>Are you hiding from me, yeah<br>Somewhere in the crowd_

_Where have you been all my life, all my life  
><em>

_Where have you been all my life  
>Where have you been all my life<br>Where have you been all my life  
>Where have you been all my— <em>

"Stuck in the office, where else," I grumbled as I pressed the pause button on my iPod and slid the headphones off to rest on my neck. Stifling a yawn, I continued to trudge across the studio towards my usual corner.

Short of drowning myself in coffee, brain-pounding music was the only thing keeping me awake in the mornings.

Remember the little chat I had with Midori during the press conference? Well, it had given me the impression that the manager had decided to uproot herself and ride into the sunset with her beloved professor. It turned out, however, that she would only be away for two weeks.

Of course, this begged the question: what made the woman think that just two weeks with the professor in Egypt would ensure that she gets married?

But on the other hand, the woman _is _Midori Sugiura. I wouldn't be surprised if she employs some methods to, umm, _persuade _the professor to marry her.

Shrugging away the image of Midori clubbing the professor on the head and dragging him back to her lair, I dumped my bag on the chair and straightened my back, pulling my shoulders behind me so as to stretch my aching muscles.

Anyway, though it wasn't necessary to get someone to replace Midori, the absence of Natsuki's manager did translate into a much heavier workload for me, leading to more late nights in the studio.

Another yawn.

"Bl—lasted woman had better be back soon…"

As I tilted my head and massaged my sore neck, I spotted an unfamiliar face in the studio. The stranger, who was engaged in a conversation with one of the members of the crew, appeared to be in her late twenties and sported a fashionable short crop.

When the member of the crew pointed in my direction, she turned and hurried towards me.

"Hello," she said in Japanese, "are you Shizuru Fujino?"

I rose from my chair slowly and replied in the same language. "Yes."

"Thank goodness!" The woman beamed as she latched her arm around mine and tugged at it. "Please come with me. I need your help!"

Before I had the chance to blink, she was pulling me out of the door. Now, I wouldn't usually allow myself to be dragged off by a strange woman, but I was so groggy that by the time my mind put two-and-two together I was already in the next studio.

"Excuse me, where are you—"

I halted mid-sentence when I saw the girl sitting on a barstool in front of a white backdrop, while the makeup artist and hairstylist worked on her fervently.

The first thought that popped up in my mind was: Natsuki?

The second: a photoshoot?

She looked up and our eyes met for a split-second before I averted my gaze in awkwardness. To say that my recent behavior towards her had been erratic would be an understatement, but I couldn't really help myself. One moment I would feel some invisible force pulling me towards her, and the next moment I'll be scrambling to keep my distance.

It was like being caught in a tug-of-war, the unfortunate rope in this case being yours truly.

I decided to direct my irritation towards the woman who still had her arm firmly around mine. "I'm sorry, but you are?" I asked rather gruffly.

She turned and looked at me with a bemused expression. "You don't know?"

"I shot the cover for last month's issue of Vogue?" She gave me a wink.

I frowned, feeling even more irked. "No."

On seeing the genuine look of dismay on her face, however, I felt a little sorry for her. "Umm… I'm not from Japan, so I'm not familiar with—"

"You're not from Japan?" The woman reached into the front pocket of her vest and retrieved a pair of rimless glasses. After putting on her glasses, she raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Ah… But you speak Japanese really well!"

I gave a small smile. "Not really. I only know some simple phrases."

"Where are you from then? America?"

"Well… I guess you can say that."

"Great!" She immediately switched to English. "We can speak in English then!"

It was my turn to be surprised.

"I grew up in Australia," she explained with a chuckle. "Anyway, Chie Harada, at your service! I'm the photographer for Kuga-san's photoshoot."

"Say…" The photographer took a step back, adjusting her glasses as she gave me the once-over. "Would you be interested in doing some modeling?"

"Harada!"

We immediately turned in the direction of the barstool, where Ice Maiden wore a look icy enough to create ten glaciers.

"Just asking, just asking!" the photographer squeaked as she hastily turned me around and leaned closer, whispering into my ear. "My goodness, Kuga-san is in a terribly bad mood!"

I sneaked a peek from the corner of my eye at the girl in question, who was the epitome of grouchiness as she slouched in her chair and glowered into the opposite direction. It was true, Natsuki did seem to be in an even fouler mood than usual. Could it be… due to the way I've been blowing hot and cold at her?

I shook my head slightly at once, not allowing myself to delve into the thought. It was far too presumptuous of me to think that I could have such an effect on Ice Maiden. Even then, I did feel bad about the cold treatment I've been giving in a bid to distance myself from her.

It was not her fault, after all.

"Shizuru-san?"

I turned my attention back to the woman in front of me and smiled. "Just call me Shizuru."

"Sure," she replied with a grin, "you can call me Chie then."

"So Chie, you were looking for me because?"

"Ah yes. Midori told me to look for you if I've any problems, uh, _handling _Kuga-san."

I quirked an eyebrow in amusement. Who does Midori think I am, a lion-tamer?

"And the problem is?"

The photographer appeared embarrassed as she rubbed the back of her neck. "Umm…" She glanced at Ice Maiden, who was still scowling away. "I'm having problems getting Kuga-san here to smile."

I had to resist a chuckle. "Smile?"

"Yeah."

"I don't think that's a problem at all."

Chie instantly brightened up. "Really? How?"

I spun on my heels and strode towards Ice Maiden, who seemed bewildered by my sudden approach.

"Well, you can always do it physically." I smirked as I placed my forefingers against the corners of her lips and pressed them upwards.

Natsuki's eyes widened.

"O—oiii!"

I laughed, and she swung her arm to swat my hands away. But I was fully prepared for her reaction and hence caught it midair. I held on firmly to her arm, pulling her close to me.

Closer than what was necessary.

"I—idiot," she muttered as her gaze darted elsewhere.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," I tried to placate her even as I wore a gleeful smile on my face. "Don't be angry."

She gave a half-hearted snarl while her cheeks grew redder. "Then stop doing that."

I gazed at her intently. While it wasn't the first time that she had blushed in front of me, I had never realised how adorable… and mesmerizing it was.

"You mean messing around with your face, or holding your hand?"

"Messing around with my face."

"So it's okay to hold your hand?"

There was a flash of panic on Natsuki's face. "I—I mean both," she said quickly.

Without thinking, I leaned even closer to her and lowered my voice. "If you promise that you'll smile properly, I won't do that."

The girl's head was bowed but I could see the crimson darkening. "Mmm…"

There was a coughing sound, causing me to snap out from my trance. I hurriedly took a step back and turned around, releasing Natsuki's hand in the process.

Dammit Shizuru, what were you doing?

"Ah—h," Chie coughed again, before making a gesture of pressing the shutter button on her camera. "Shall we?"

I nodded and quickly moved out of the way to stand behind Chie.

"Remember to smile, Natsuki," I said as lightly as I could, trying to repress the uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. Although I had always been fond of teasing her, what I did was clearly in the no-fly zone of flirting.

This is not good.

Natsuki jumped off the barstool and shifted her weight awkwardly. "Can we just take those shots like we always do? The ones where I don't smile?" she asked, though she sounded a lot less vexed.

"Well Kuga-san, the brief this time is to project a, err, _cheerier _image."

"Then they shouldn't have asked me to do it." The girl sulked.

Shoving the disconcerted thoughts to the back of my mind, a sly grin crept on my face as I bounced on my heels. "Now, now, Natsuki… You won't want me messing around with your face, do you?"

She narrowed her eyes at me. But when the smile on my face merely grew wider, she let out an indignant huff and grudgingly took her spot in front of the camera.

"Okay Kuga-san," Chie proceeded to coax Natsuki as she moved about, her camera clicking continuously, "look to your left…"

"Give me a smile…"

The girl's lips were pursed, and she seemed more to be frowning than smiling.

"Smile wider please?"

In response, the corners of her lips did the teeniest twitch.

"No, wider. Wider please."

I could clearly sense the frustration building in both Chie and Natsuki as the latter looked like she was experiencing a facial cramp.

"A bright smile! With your teeth showing!"

She bared her teeth indeed. And it took all the self-control I had to prevent myself from guffawing.

"Kuga-san," Chie said exasperatedly, "you look like a psychotic murd—"

"Ah Natsuki," I quickly cut the photographer off from her suicidal speech. I wasn't interested in cleaning up the crime scene later. "Let's do it this way. Look at me?"

Ice Maiden looked at me curiously.

"I'll stand behind Chie," I explained as I moved towards the photographer. "Just look at me, okay?"

"We'll have a conversation as we go along, so it'll be all over before you know it."

I scratched my chin thoughtfully. "Let's see… Hmm…"

"Hello," I said as I flashed a megawatt smile at the girl. "My name is Shizuru Fujino. And you are?"

Ice Maiden shot me an incredulous look. "Idiot," she said, despite her lips curling up involuntarily.

My eyes widened and I gasped. "Your name is 'idiot'?"

"No!" This time she broke out in a chuckle.

Chie finally caught on to what was happening and quickly adjusted her camera lenses. There was the sound of the rapid clicking of the shutter before she took a few steps to the right. I quickly followed suit.

"So what's your name?" I pressed on.

The girl rolled her eyes. "Natsuki Kuga," she answered with a wry smile.

"It's a very pretty name, Natsuki. What does it mean?"

"Now, Kuga-san, lean against the back of the chair and turn your head to the left… That's it…"

"It means… 'summer child', I think…"

I raised my eyebrows, genuinely intrigued by the revelation. "Summer child? Because your parents liked summer?"

"No, because I was born in summer."

Summer?

I was about to fire another question when I was interrupted by Chie's delighted whoop.

"Fantastic, Kuga-san!" She was grinning from ear to ear. "We can take a break now."

And that was how I spent the next few hours, chatting lightly with Natsuki as she went through a mind-blowing number of costume changes and struck a myriad of poses before the camera. To her credit, she did not show any outward signs of weariness, tiring though it must have been.

My stomach was growling by the time Chie decided to wrap up for the day. As Natsuki went to change out from her dress, the photographer stood in front of the white backdrop and reviewed the photos on her camera.

I peered over her shoulder. "Are they good?"

I haven't gotten a good look at the photo when the woman spun around and grabbed my left shoulder, giving me a start. "Good? Gooooood?

Seeing the crazed look in her eyes, I swallowed thickly. Did I just step on a landmine?

"This is…"

"This is… EXCELLENT!"

I winced at her loud voice, before breaking into an amused smile. "Is it that good?"

"Yes!" she replied enthusiastically and grabbed both my shoulders. "They're actually the best pictures I've taken of her. Ever!"

"To tell you the truth," her voice dropped to a whisper as she leaned towards me, "it's a pure nightmare trying to take pictures for Kuga-san. I wouldn't do it if not for the fact that she's one of the most popular idols in Japan."

She took a step backwards and clasped my hand, shaking it vigorously. "I don't know how you thought of it, Shizuru, but you're a genius! Thank you so much!"

I chuckled and waved my free hand dismissively. The photographer's eyes were practically shimmering with tears of joy.

Turning around, I saw that Natsuki had changed back into her ensemble of a t-shirt and jeans. I thought it was a bit of a pity, as she looked really pretty in the flora dress, with her long dark hair tied up in a low ponytail. Not that she wasn't as attractive in her usual attire. Heck, I suspected that given how my brain was wired, she could be wearing something hideous and I would still give her a standing ovation.

Suddenly, the lights dimmed.

Just as we turned our heads this way and that, trying to figure out what was going on, the entrance to the studio was flung open and light flooded in from the doorway.

A girl with striking orange hair marched in carrying an elaborately decorated cake with a single candle on top, while a smaller girl bounded behind like her pet.

Mai? Mikoto?

Don't tell me…

"Happy birthday, Kuga-san!" A chorus rang out in the air as the crew materialized.

Natsuki gaped, her mouth hanging slightly open. I probably wasn't doing any better.

"Don't tell me you're getting senile already," a redhead purred as she sashayed to the front of the crowd.

This was sufficient to shake Natsuki out of her stupor. "Nao…" she growled.

Cleopatra giggled, but any verbal lashing from Ice Maiden was promptly stopped by Mai wrapping her arm around her.

"Now Nao, play nice. Everyone, let's sing Natsuki a birthday song! One, two, three…"

At once, the studio broke out in a loud rendition of Happy Birthday to You. Natsuki's efforts at wriggling out of Mai's iron grip were in vain, and eventually she settled for staring at her feet.

"…Happy birthday to Natsuki…Happy birthday to youuuuuu…"

There was the sound of applause as Natsuki blew out the candle. Eventually I got out of my daze and clapped along rigidly.

"Let's cut the cake!" Mai happily announced. The birthday girl had no choice but to reluctantly slice the cake into uneven pieces so that they can be dished out.

And that was when the prettily wrapped boxes miraculously appeared.

Oh my god. Find me a hole to hide please.

I poked Erstin hard in the ribs, extracting a squeak from the blonde. "Why didn't you guys tell me?" I whispered harshly.

"I'm sorry, Shizuru," Erstin replied apologetically, "we thought that you knew, since you were her personal assistant."

"Well I don't," I shot back irritably, even though the irritation was more with myself than with Erstin.

"It's a small matter Shizuru, I'm sure Natsuki doesn't mind."

"Who says it's a small matter—"

Erstin looked at me curiously.

"I mean—I mean I'm her personal assistant. What kind of personal assistant forgets her boss' birthday, huh?"

The blonde merely gave me a meaningful smile (not that I knew what the meaning was) and went off to present her gift to Natsuki.

For the next half an hour I slunk in the shadows, torn as to whether to escape or continue watching the steady stream of people convey their well-wishes to Ice Maiden. Finally, the last person stepped up.

Yikes.

"Ha—happy birthday, Kuga-san." Takeda said as he gingerly removed a small velvet box from the inner pocket of his jacket.

My eyes grew wider and I literally panicked.

Are you kidding me? Is he's trying to propose or something?

Aren't you kids too young to be getting married? !

Even though Natsuki frowned, she accepted the box.

"O—open it?"

If Takeda were nervous before, he was clearly on the verge of freaking out now. He fidgeted with his tie for a while and, having probably figured that he wasn't projecting a cool image, shoved his hands into his pockets instead. But then his legs started to twitch.

The rest of the studio waited with bated breaths as Natsuki opened the velvet box.

She took out a key.

I let out a sigh of relief.

Wait a minute. A key?

"It's p—parked right outside, Ku-kuga-san."

After a moment of stunned silence, excited squeals filled the air. Even the guys were gawking in astonishment. For my part, all I could think of was whether they kept a shovel in the studio. I could dig myself to the center of the earth _pronto_.

"I don't want it," the girl said coolly as she snapped the box shut and pressed it against his hand. Everyone else in the studio froze.

"B—but," Takeda stuttered, "it's the same one you rode in the other movie—"

"Thank you, but no."

With that, she strode out of the studio, leaving a clearly devastated Takeda in her wake.

As soon as I got off work, I rushed to the departmental stores to see if I could find a present for Natsuki.

Get a necklace? Mai bought it.

Get a book? Erstin gave it.

Get a game? Nao had it covered.

And obviously I couldn't afford a Ducati.

I groaned, attracting plenty of weird looks from the passers-by. Is there anything that is nice and affordable and has not been bloody bought by someone already? !

Four hours and five blisters later, I stood outside Natsuki's apartment, panting lightly.

Just my luck that Ice Maiden decided to house herself in a modern day equivalent of a castle surrounded by a moat. The oh-so-exclusive apartment was at the very top of a hill overlooking the city, and was not accessible unless one had a car or was willing to splurge on a cab ride. Since I did not fall into either category, I had to rely on my trusty feet to trek up the long and windy path to Kuga Kingdom.

And that was after _a lot _of shopping.

I brushed my fringe to the side as my other hand pressed the doorbell. When there was no answer, I knocked on her door. Tentatively at first, but subsequently harder.

"Ugh…" I mumbled as I leaned sideways against the door. A quick glance at my watch told me that it was just three minutes to midnight.

Where is she?

Isn't it obvious? She's probably out celebrating. You don't expect a superstar like her to be at home on her birthday, do you?

Nevertheless, the stubborn streak in me meant that I wasn't going to give up so easily. I thumped my fist against the wooden frame. "Hello? Natsuki?"

One minute left.

Darn!

As my knuckles were about to reconnect with the door, there was the sound of locks being pulled open. I barely had time to straighten my back when a figure appeared at the doorway.

"Shizuru?"

"N—Natsuki?" I sputtered, not having expected to actually see her.

What are you waiting for? !

"Ha—ppy Birthday, Natsuki!" I managed to choke before frantically checking my watch – there were still 15 seconds left. I made it!

After giving her a smug smile, it dawned on me that she was wearing an oversized t-shirt and shorts, while her hair was slightly tousled. "Sorry if I woke you up," I added hastily.

"It's okay, I was reading."

"Reading? You don't strike me as the bookworm kind, you know."

She gave a nonchalant shrug, and raised one eyebrow. "So... You travelled all the way here to wish me a happy birthday?"

I blinked, suddenly realizing the absurdity of it all. Crap.

"Ah—h, I wanted to pass you a present as well."

I fished out an envelope from my jacket. "Here you go."

She took it with a quizzical expression.

"Go on... Open it."

She carefully tore the flap open and retrieved a piece of paper. Her eyebrows rose in unison.

"A wish from Shizuru!" I said merrily.

Her gaze traveled sideways as she read the fine print out loud. "…provided that it is within legal, moral and financial constraints..."

My grin grew broader. "Still, isn't it awesome? A wish from me you know!"

Natsuki folded her arms and leaned against the doorway with a skeptical expression. "Aren't you afraid that I'll ask you to be my slave for the day?"

"Well, hasn't your majesty enslaved me already?" I wiggled my eyebrows, referring to my run in with Ice Queen sometime back. I was instantly reminded of a song by Britney Spears.

"I'm a... slllllaaave for yooouuu..."

Natsuki immediately covered her ears with her hands. "Don't make it sound so wrong!"

I merely let out a cheerful hum. But I was pushing my luck, as my calf muscle promptly suffered a painful spasm. I winced, bending forward to grab my leg. "Oww…"

It was Natsuki's turn to chuckle. "You… Wanna come in?"

I looked up at the girl. It was pretty late already, but…

How could I say no?

"Sure."

Natsuki nodded and supported my shoulder as I half-limped and half-hopped into the dimly-lit house. The living room lights were switched off, leaving the balcony lights to provide the illumination I needed to stumble towards her sofa.

I collapsed on the sofa and continued to massage my leg while she sat placidly next to me.

This is getting a little awkward.

"Sooooo…" I desperately tried to find a conversation topic, "it's dark in here huh?"

Ice Maiden shot me a look that is best described "really?" as I resisted smacking myself on the head.

Why thank you Shizuru, I swear that your IQ is questionable these days.

"I—I mean, didn't you say you were reading? The lights are all off."

"I was reading in the balcony," she replied evenly. I trailed her gaze to the large open-air balcony where there was indeed a book lying on a comfortable-looking recliner.

Before I could say another word, she stood up from her seat and strode towards the balcony. Her mood seemed more subdued that usual, thus I silently followed her out and leaned against the railings. For some time we did not speak, and there was only the intermittent sound of crickets in the background.

In the far horizon I could make out the dazzling lights of the city, seemingly a universe away from the peace and serenity surrounding us. But alluring as the lights of Tokyo may be, we all desire some quiet at some point in time.

"The reason that I bought this apartment, is this."

I turned to the girl next to me, who was staring thoughtfully at the night sky. As the moonlight illuminated her profile, her pale skin seemed to shimmer, and I was reminded of the first time I had set eyes on her.

She hadn't changed, but something in me has.

Once again, I felt the now-familiar stirring in me.

If I tell you I have an itsy bitsy teeny weeny crush on you, what will you say?

"N—Natsuki…"

Bravo, Shizuru. Are you trying to address that ant over there on the ledge? Because I'm sure that even the ant can't hear you.

I shifted my weight uneasily, and cleared my throat.

What's the worst that could happen?

"Natsuki," I said again, my voice louder this time, "I—"

Just as she turned around to face me, a jarring sound broke into silence of the night. It took me a moment to realize that my phone was ringing.

"Ah—h sorry," I muttered as I fumbled in my jeans pocket for the annoying device.

Who would be calling me at such a late hour?

Finally, I pressed a button and held the phone to my ear.

"Hello?" I said rather irritably. It'd better not be that irresponsible manager again!

"Hello. Unhappy to hear from me, darling?"

My mind went blank.

"M—mom?"

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><p>AN: This chapter is dedicated to my dear sister, whose birthday falls on 12 June (and who doesn't know this website exists) and two July babies, ES and the girl with the incredibly long name (you know who you are). Happy birthday all!

See you guys (hopefully) soon!


	17. Girl Panic!

A/N: Hello there folks. How's it going?

I'm really sorry that this update took so long. The last few months were just ****. Never once has work sucked up all the inspiration from me, and it was really awful not having _any imagination at all _(I'm not exaggerating). It took a number of extreme-deep-thinking shower sessions before I could come up with this chapter :P

To the reviewers and readers who sent me PMs, thanks so much for the warm feedback to the last chapter! I had intended to reply each of you personally, but then life kinda took over... Honestly, though, without your support (and demands for update) I probably would have sat on this forever. Haha.

Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong><strong>Disclaimer: Mai Hime, Mai Otome and all their characters belong to Sunrise.<strong>**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 17: Girl Panic!<strong>

I stood on the sidewalk, with one hand grasping my phone and the fingers of my other hand drumming restlessly against the concrete wall.

"Shizuru?"

"Mmm?"

"Have you booked your ticket?"

I puffed my cheeks and exhaled. "Not…yet…"

"The wedding's just two weeks away! Do it soon, okay?"

An incoherent mumble drifted into the phone.

"What did you say?"

"I said, yes ma'am." My annoyance didn't go unnoticed by her.

"Darling…" she sounded concerned, "is there something wrong?"

My tone softened. "Sorry mom, it's just that…" I pursed my lips. "I…I think I'll miss my friends here."

As the words left my mouth, I realized what a mistake they were.

"Awwwwww!"

At the sudden blare from the speaker my grip instinctively loosened, but with some frenzied grappling that would have made Jackie Chan proud I managed to catch hold of my phone before it touched the ground. My ancestors must have been ninjas.

I pressed the phone to my ear again, ignoring the strange looks being thrown at me from the passersby. "Mom!"

The lady known as "Mom", however, continued to coo like I was a fluffy-whatever-animal at a pet shop. I scrunched my mouth aside and rolled my eyes. The next thing she is going to say is probably "my little biddle baby actually misses her friends!"

"My little biddle baby—"

"You little biddle baby is getting a little biddle annoyed," I interrupted, shooting as many daggers as was possible through telepathy.

She coughed lightly. "Oh, I understand darling. But it's not like you'll never see them again right? Aren't there those things that allow you to video call each other? And also that thing that your dad's hooked on; Handbook or something."

I knew very well that it was not the same. With regard to a certain someone, at least. Even then, I allowed myself to chuckle. "It's called Facebook, mom."

My mother let out an indignant huff. "Can't they get names that make sense…" she muttered almost inaudibly. "Anyway, come back soon alright? I'm going crazy facing that old man of yours on my own everyday."

A genuine smile broke out on my face. "I miss you too. I have to get back into the shop. Talk to you again?"

"Oh yes, you're having lunch with the manager aren't you? Shouldn't keep her waiting."

"Yup, catch you later. Bye mom."

"Bye dear."

There was a tiny beep as I hung up the phone. I then slowly trudged towards the door, leaning my forehead against the wooden frame. After taking a deep breath, I pulled the door open.

The sound of raucous laughter greeted me. A woman with wild mahogany hair got up from her stool, swaying dangerously as she did so. "Where did you go, Shizuru?" she demanded.

"My mom called," I mumbled as I shut the door behind me.

"What?" She cupped her two hands behind her ears. "I can't hear you!"

"My mom called!"

"Whaaat?" She started fanning her hands back and forth vigorously. "Your bum sock? I didn't know they sell such things!"

My right eye twitched as I resisted the urge to send Dumbo the Elephant flying across the galaxy.

"I dunno about bum socks, but you're not going anywhere till you're drunk! Here! Cheers!" Right after she shoved a glass into my hand, Midori let out a sharp bark of laughter and tipped over, collapsing on the floor.

"Everything okay?" A girl poked her head out of the kitchen. Mai had recently re-dyed her hair, such that her head resembled the Olympic torch.

I peered at the woman slumped on the floor. I wasn't sure about Midori, but nothing else seemed broken. "All fine, Mai."

The girl with flaming hair strode out of the kitchen, carrying a steaming bowl of ramen. As it was Saturday, Mikoto was in school for her weekly kendo practice. The shop was much quieter without cat girl, and though I was able to enjoy my ramen in peace, I did kind of miss her company.

After placing the bowl before me, she glanced at Midori. "No one knows what happened?"

"Nope," I replied blithely with a nod in thanks, before digging my chopsticks into the noodles. No one really knew what happened to Midori and her professor in Egypt, but my guess was it didn't go too well. Why, it was barely 11am and she was already a drunken mess.

Even so, I couldn't say I felt too sorry for her, given how she had unceremoniously abandoned the crew and left us to deal with the shipwreck of a press conference. And also the paperwork she had dumped on me. I was pretty such that if you stacked them upwards they would form a ladder to the moon.

The ramen chef seemed to read my mind. "Actually," she said evenly while she pulled a stool out to sit across the table from me, "Midori usually isn't so irresponsible."

I lifted an eyebrow, and would have sniffed if not for the fact that I was stuffing myself with noodles as elegantly as I could.

Mai went on. "I've heard Nao remark a couple of times that she hardly takes days off. Oh, and there's the Nina Wang incident. I heard that even though she was running a high fever and hospitalized, Midori still insisted on attending the press conference."

Well, that's new. And if it was true then Midori must really like the professor, such that she would not even bother to save Natsuki and Takeda's asses. Feeling a lot more sympathetic for her, I left my seat and went over to Midori, hefting her onto a stool such that her back was leaning against the wall. Her head ended up tilting backwards and she started drooling, but hey, I wasn't _so sorry _as to wipe her mouth for her.

I turned my attention back to Mai. "The Nina Wang incident? I haven't heard of it."

"Ah, that happened a few years ago, when Natsuki first started out in showbiz. Nina was also an artiste with J-Talents, and was extremely popular. However her secret relationship with her foster father was exposed, which was sensational news at that time. All of the newspapers and magazines were reporting about it."

I frowned. "So what happened? Did Midori settle it?"

"Mmm… she tried her best, but Nina's popularity nosedived and never recovered. Nao said there were rumors that she's trying to revive her career overseas, but with no luck too. It's such a shame, as she was really talented."

"I see. That's…" I scratched my eyebrow as a knot formed in the pit of my stomach. "That's terrible. It's her own business who she wants to love, right?"

Mai gave me a small smile. "Your business is everyone's business. That's showbiz for you."

I sunk lower in my seat, my appetite suddenly gone.

"Has Natsuki been spending time with you lately? Before you go home?"

Hearing Mai's words, I couldn't help a bitter laugh. After that fated late night call from my mother, whatever possessed me to want to confess my feelings to Natsuki vanished into thin air. Subsequently I tendered my resignation, and she has scarcely talked to me since, not even bothering to turn up for my farewell dinner. At the rate it was going, I was beginning to wonder if she wanted me out of her life as soon as possible.

Mai looked at me quizzically.

I shifted my gaze downwards and stared grouchily at the bowl as I stirred its contents with my chopsticks. "I haven't seen much of her lately," I conceded. And probably wouldn't in the future.

"Ah, Shizuru…" Mai began softly, evidently sensing the distress in my voice, "actually…"

"Natsuki…doesn't…but she…stay."

By this time, I was so distracted by my gloomy thoughts that I failed to catch what she was saying. "Huh?"

Mai cleared her throat. "What I wanted to say is, Natsuki—"

There was the sound of the door being slid open. "Good afternoon!" A woman called as she stepped into the shop, with her young daughter in tow.

Mai got up from her seat at once. "Ueno-san, Akari-chan, good afternoon!" she said before ushering the customers to their table and taking their orders. Just as she was about to walk back to my table, yet another greeting came from a new customer. Before long the shop was packed with the lunchtime crowd, and our conversation was gradually forgotten.

It would be a long time before I discover what Mai was trying to tell me that day.

"Shizuru, you are leaving?"

I pushed my stool back under the table and looked up. "Yes Mai, thanks so much for the delicious meal." I started towards the door.

"Wa—wait!"

I peered over my shoulder at the girl, who was hastily wiping her hands on her apron.

"You know that the awards show is tonight, right? Are you going to watch it?"

The Nippon Academy Awards, also known as the most prestigious awards in the Japanese film industry. Midori had given me an invite, but I was still in two minds about going. "Maybe."

Mai sighed. "I really hope to see you there, Shizuru. Especially since you're leaving soon."

For a moment I stood at the door, speechless. In two months I had made friends that I never thought I would. It made me feel happy, but in a bittersweet way.

"I'll see you around, Mai," I eventually replied, giving her my warmest smile before making my way out of the shop.

The next hour I spent wandering around Asakusa aimlessly, taking in the sights in the hope that I can imprint them permanently in my memory. The bustling streets, the colourful billboards, the quaint little shops. Who knows when I would be back again, and what would have changed by then?

My mind was also occupied with thoughts of my earlier conversation with Mai. On hindsight, I was rather relieved that I had not succeeded in confessing to Natsuki, as it dawned on me that I had never considered whether the feelings were mutual. Maybe I had assumed that she _liked _me, but I became increasingly unsure whether it was the same kind of _like_, or whether it was merely a part of my imagination. And now hearing what Mai said about showbiz? Bummer.

I must have been lost in my thoughts as when I finally noticed my surroundings, I found myself in the middle of an unfamiliar residential area with no other person in sight. I hastened my footsteps, trying to navigate the maze I was trapped in.

"I knew I should have subscribed for 3G service…" I grumbled under my breath as I turned into a dead end for the third time. While retracing my steps, however, I spotted a slim figure a few blocks away from me. I immediately hurried that way, hoping to ask her for directions. But before I could reach her, the woman halted in her steps and leaned against the wall. She then collapsed, groceries spilling out from her shopping bags.

I sprinted forward immediately. "Hey! Are you okay?" I called out as I crouched before the figure and turned her face towards me.

Lo and behold. It was Ice Queen.

Twenty minutes later, I was in Ice Queen's house, twiddling my thumbs nervously. I mean, what are the odds of me running into Natsuki's mother? On the other hand, after rummaging through my memories, I vaguely recalled Mai saying that she lived near her ramen shop.

As Natsuki's mother stepped into the living room, I swiftly stood to attention.

"Ah, Shizuru-san, have a seat," she said placidly as she put a cup of tea in front of me and settled into the seat opposite mine. I took my seat as well.

"Are you feeling better?" I asked. The woman looked paler than I remembered.

"Yes, thank you. I'm just a little anemic," Ice Queen answered in that crisp accent of hers.

"I see…" I wondered if Ice Maiden was aware of her mother's health issue. "Have you seen a doctor?"

"Yes, I have. I'll be fine after taking the medicine and resting."

I nodded mutely, and shifted uncomfortably in my chair. We sat there in silence as I frantically searched my internal guidebook on "How to Make Conversation with People You Don't Really Know" for something (sensible) to say. When that drew a blank, I decided to refer to "How to Get Yourself Out of Conversations with People You Don't Really Know".

"I should leave you to take a rest then, Mrs Ku—"

"How is Natsuki?"

My eyes widened, but I sat back down anyway. The sudden change in topic had caught me by surprise, though frankly it was getting bothersome having people ask me about the one person that was avoiding me like the plague.

"She is…err, _very well_. There is an awards show tonight, I think she is nominated for best actress."

"She is?" Ice Queen said, more to herself than to me.

"Yes. Are you going to watch it?"

She shook her head slowly and I grimaced. It was hard to believe that Natsuki had not given her mother an invite to the show, given how important it was to her. "Natsuki didn't give you an invite?"

Another shake of the head. "No, she did," she said quietly, "but I threw it away."

I chewed my lip. Umm. There wasn't much I could say to that.

"Remember the day we met at Natsuki's place?"

Another switch in the conversation topic, but this time leaving me more nervous than anything else. Oh, I remember that day most excellently, if you include me masquerading as Ice Maiden's slave. "Yes…" I said hesitantly. Was she finally going to lambast me for my antics?

"Well." She steadily placed her hands on the table, one over the other. "What you said made me think…"

"It bothered me, what you said. When Natsuki gave me an invite to the awards show, I threw it away…but what you said lingered in my head."

By this time I gathered which conversation she was actually referring to and my eyebrows were floating sky high. Ice Queen shifted her position uneasily, like a kid caught stealing from the cookie jar. At the back of my mind I noticed the parallels between her and Ice Maiden – the shy, awkward self that was hidden beneath the thick layer of ice. It was quite endearing, really.

"In the end I gave in. I went to the video store and rented one of her movies." She took a long pause. "It was good… Natsuki was good." Her voice had faded to barely a whisper.

My jaw kind of dropped to the table. Are those tears shimmering in her eyes? I was caught between freaking out and joining her in sobbing my face out in a hanky.

"Ah…" I tried to construct a sentence but my treacherous brain bailed out on me as usual. Apparently I did not have an internal guidebook titled "How to Deal with Amazingly Awkward Situations."

She sniffed and glanced at me. "I'm sorry, what am I doing, embarrassing myself…"

I waved my arms furiously in front of me. "No, no! It's alright to cry! Cry as much as you want!"

I nearly whacked myself on the forehead as a box of tissues magically appeared and the woman sobbed even more loudly. Yup that's an awesome idea, Shizuru, let her cry a river to drown the whole world.

"That's not what I meant—I mean, no, not that I mind you crying—"

After much stuttering, I took a deep breath to recompose myself. Shizuru Fujino, get your brains in order! "I mean, I mean, it's not too late you know, to appreciate her talent."

Natsuki's mother finally took a break and looked up from the table at me.

"What I mean is, Natsuki has always hoped that you would be proud of her. She still does."

The next few seconds seemed like an eternity as the woman processed my words. At last, a faint glimmer of a smile appeared on her face. "I think you're right. I should tell her…"

Thank goodness! I breathed a sigh of relief. I then blinked, as an imaginary light bulb appeared above my head.

"I know!" I exclaimed as I fished out a slightly crumpled piece of paper from my jeans pocket. "Here, you can have this."

Ice Queen took one look at the paper and her gaze shot back to me. "But, isn't this your invite?"

"It's fine, I can always watch her on TV."

She furrowed her brows. "I can't…"

"No, really. Please take it. I'm sure she'll appreciate your presence more than mine." I flashed her an encouraging smile, even though I couldn't stop the sour feeling from blossoming in my chest when I said those words, especially when they were probably true.

"Okay then…" she said uncertainly as she accepted the invite.

We spent the rest of the afternoon chatting about random things. I learnt some things about her, such as that she was actually working as a teacher in a middle school, but our discussion mostly revolved around Natsuki and my almost daily run-ins with her. They amused her enough to make her guffaw.

The most disastrous moment, nevertheless, happened when Ice Queen took out Natsuki's baby album for me. I was all fine and dandy looking through the photos of a very chubby Natsuki splashing in a bathtub, when I realized that she was naked. Like butt naked. Let's just say that it was kind of difficult trying to explain why I threw away the book like there was a cockroach on it and with my cheeks all red.

Soon the sun started dipping into the horizon and Natsuki's mother had to get ready for the awards show. I bid her farewell, and went home feeling a tad lighter than I was before.

The show was slated to start at 7.30pm. Having gathered a load of snacks, I plopped on the couch and switched on the TV. Haruka was out with Yukino today, so for once I had the TV all to myself.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the 33rd Nippon Academy Awards!" A smartly dressed man in a tuxedo announced with a flourish. He was obviously the host.

I could barely keep my eyes open during the ensuing segments. Sure, it was nice seeing so many gorgeous men and women parade themselves on the stage. But I wasn't a fan of Japanese shows so I didn't recognize most of them.

"And now, for the most prestigious award of the night… The Outstanding Performance by An Actress in a Leading Role!" I jolted awake and quickly rubbed my bleary eyes. "Let's put our hands together for Mashiro Kazahana-sama and Fumi Himeno-sensei to present the award!"

I struggled to sit up on the couch as a girl in a wheelchair and an older woman emerged from the back of the stage and went towards the standing microphones. Word was it that Mashiro's influential family owned Nippon TV Station, while the seemingly ageless Fumi was one of the screen sirens in the old glamour days of cinema and a close friend of the Kazahana family.

Fumi took out an envelope and removed a card from it. "And the nominees are…"

The audience was shown a video introducing the nominees. I felt my heart beat faster when I saw the footage of Natsuki. She was being nominated for her role in John Smith's movie. When the video ended, it was Mashiro holding the other envelope.

"And the winner is…" she announced solemnly as she slipped the card out of the envelope.

The cameras then switched to the nominees sitting in the audience. I had a glimpse of silky dark hair before the camera turned its attention back on the stage.

I clenched my fists anxiously. Call me biased, but I really wanted Natsuki to win. Not only because she deserved it, but also because it would help her achieve what she always wanted – to prove herself to her mother.

_Pleaseletherwin pleaseletherwin…_ I promise that if she wins, I will stop drinking green tea… for a week?

The host cut in with a toothy smile. "We will be right back after the break."

"GAH!"

A cushion went flying right smack into my hapless TV. What is this, American Idol? !

After what must have been a million commercials we were at last back to the show. I hugged the poor cushion tightly, resting my chin on top of it as I stared so hard at the TV screen that my eyes might just pop.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role award goes to…"

There was a drumroll. Mashiro and Fumi leaned into their respective microphones.

"NATSUKI KUGA!"

Deafening screams erupted from the fans at the back of auditorium as the cameras zoomed in on the winner, who seemed to have turned into a stone statue at her seat, her eyes wide in disbelief. It was only when Nao ran down the aisle and pulled her up by the arm that she seemed to regain her senses, making her way to the stage as her fellow artistes shook her hand.

Finally, she managed to squeeze her way through the throng of well-wishers and up the stage. Ice Maiden bowed as the presenters handed over her trophy. She hugged it against her chest, inhaling deeply before looking up at the audience.

"I…" She paused, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear. It was only then that I noticed that she was wearing the halter neck dress I had chosen for her from Reito's shop, the one I had snuck into her shopping bags. It fitted her perfectly, and under the spotlight of the stage, she seemed to glow.

I smiled.

"I…" Natsuki spoke again while her eyes darted around, seeming to be searching for someone.

"Oh look!" The host said excitedly as the spotlight centered on a lady sitting in the middle of the audience. "It's Kuga-san's mother!" Ice Queen was beaming widely, and waved shyly at the camera.

Natsuki appeared stunned at first, but eventually she broke into a smile. It was the most beautiful smile I had seen on her face, and I felt my breath catch in my throat. It might just be the last thing I'll ever forget.

Her voice was slightly shaky. "Thank you. Thank you all for believing in me."

And whatever misgivings I had with her, whatever uneasiness and anxiety I felt about us disappeared, leaving me with one thought in my head: As long as she is happy, I'm happy.

A loud pop sounded, and confetti and balloons descended on the stage. The other award winners joined Natsuki on the stage, and the show ended on a decidedly festive mood.

Later in the night, as I was getting ready for bed, my phone rang.

"Geez," I muttered irritably as I picked up the phone. It was almost 2am in the morning. "Hello?"

"Hello? Hello!"

I frowned. "Hello? Who is this?"

The other person on the line seemed to hiccup as she spoke. "It—It's me, Na—tsuuu—kiii…"

I pressed the phone closer against my ear, with my brows tightly furrowed. "Natsuki? Is that you?"

"Shizuuu—wuuu…"

After much effort, I determined that Natsuki was drunk somewhere. It took me some time to locate Rorschach, no thanks to the horrendous pronunciation she used. Luckily she was in a private room when I arrived; I shudder to think what would have happened if she was discovered by other people.

The bartender who led me to the room, a man called Yamada, claimed that she had gone to the bar alone and was drunk but otherwise fine. He looked at me curiously when I told him my name, but he did not say anything else.

Anyway, trying to carry Natsuki out of the pub was a very _unique _experience. To illustrate this point, here are some excerpts of our conversation (if you could call it one):

…

"Okay, Natsuki, let's get out of here. The door's to the left."

"Le—ft?"

"Yes, turn left… No, not into the men's toilet!"

…

"Shizuwuu, Shizuwuu, there's something squishy!"

"That's my foot, Natsuki! Stop stepping on it!"

"Squishy!"

"Oww!"

…

"Shizuwuu?"

"_Yeeesss_, Natsuki?"

"I see stars…"

"Stars? We're still in the building, Natsuki. Wait a min— Hey, don't pass out on me!"

…

So as you can tell, it was far from easy getting her royal drunken ass home. It was still manageable at first when her legs were functioning, but subsequently she decided to zonk out altogether. I lost count of the number of times we nearly tripped and fell to our deaths.

After a nerve-wrecking cab ride (during which I worried about being tailed by the paparazzi), we arrived at Natsuki's apartment. Fortunately I could find her keys in her handbag, and I fumbled with the lock as Ice Maiden leaned her full weight on me.

"I'm no longer your personal assistant, you know…" I muttered under my breath as I carried her into the apartment and straight to her bedroom. "You—great—big—elephant."

"If it's—not because—I like—you—so much," I continued to gasp as I struggled to maneuver our position so that I could hold onto her and lay her down on the bed as gently as possible. "I—would have just—dragged you—on the floor."

Alas, I lost my grip and Natsuki dropped like a fallen log onto the bed. She even bounced a few times.

I winced. "Oops. Na…tsuki?"

No response from the living dead. Ice Maiden laid quietly on the bed, dressed in the same outfit she wore to the awards show. It was strange to say the least, as I had expected her to attend the after party and not wind up in a small pub in Shinjuku.

I bent over and tapped her on the cheeks. "Natsuki? Earth to Natsuki, Earth to Natsuki…"

Finally she let out a soft groan.

"Oh fantabulous, you are still alive…" That's two drunks and two unconscious Kugas I have had to deal with in a day. To whoever's up there playing this trick on me, it's funny, _reeeaaally _funny.

"Natsuki, wake up." This time, she whined and turned her head away from me. Seeing the grumpy look on her face, I let out a sigh. Should I just leave her here? She seems to fall within the sleepy drunk category, so it should be fine?

I padded to her dressing table and picked up my jacket, which I had discarded after sweating buckets from carrying Ice Maiden. When I turned around, however, I froze.

Natsuki had flipped over to the side such that she was facing me. Her form-fitting dress had ridden up her thighs, treating me to a generous view of her long legs.

Like really_, _really_ long_, _svelte_ legs.

My mouth felt dry and I swallowed thickly. I take back my words; this is not funny at all! I was aware that somewhere along the way my feelings for her had taken on a more, umm, _sensual _nature, but I tried my best not to dwell on it.

Prying my gaze off her with much difficulty, I shuffled towards the bed, making sure to stare at the back of the room instead. I then knelt down on the bed, and reached over to the other side for the blanket so that I can drape it over her. But as I pulled the blanket towards me, I instinctively looked down.

My hand hovered in mid-air.

She was still sleeping, her face devoid of the usual trace of sulkiness. We were so close that I could feel the heat radiating from her body. Without thinking, my gaze drifted downwards to her slender neck, to her steadily rising and falling chest, to her taut waist, to her—

"Oh my goodness!" I yelled as I jerked backwards. It was probably a bad move though, as my hollering awoke sleeping beauty and she stirred, opening her eyes and staring at me groggily. For reasons unknown, my body shut down and I couldn't move.

Uh oh. How in the world am I supposed to explain why I'm crouched over her on the bed?

Natsuki continue to peer at me, blinking a few times in a way which I would have found adorable if not for the fact that I was in full panic-mode.

"Natsuki, I can explain—"

"Shizuwuu…" she drawled, effectively silencing me. "You…stole my first kiss."

The next thing I knew, Ice Maiden was grabbing me by the collar and dragging my lips down to meet hers.

* * *

><p>AN: Remember, if you kill the author she will not be able to continue the story.

I've made a couple of song references in this chapter, can you spot them? :D

There's probably just two or three more chapters to go, and with luck you might see the next one sooner than you expect. Till then, adios!


	18. The long goodbye

A/N: Greetings.

I had a minor surgery this morning, and it pretty much sucks to not be able to eat properly. But the upside is, I finally had time to finish up this chapter. Yippee yay.

Once again, thank you all for your enthusiastic reviews and PMs. Really much appreciated :D

And lastly - _H__appy Anniversary, my dear. _

* * *

><p><strong><strong><strong>Disclaimer: Mai Hime, Mai Otome and all their characters belong to Sunrise.<strong>****

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 18: The long goodbye<strong>

"Ah-CHOO!"

I slumped lower in the couch and blew my nose noisily with a piece of tissue. "Gawd… It's like I'm playing a trumpet."

The blonde sitting across the coffee table tut-tutted disapprovingly as she handed a new box of tissues to me. "You're such a fool, Shizuru Fujino."

"Why thank you, _Helen Armitage_," I grunted as I snatched the box from her and placed it on the seat beside me. "Aren't you my best friend? Show me some sympa—"

Another explosive sneeze.

Haruka leaned back against the armchair and folded her arms. "It's precisely because I'm your best friend that I'm telling you that you're a fool."

I merely rolled my eyes and continued dabbing at my very sore nose. I swear the thing's gonna drop off soon.

My best friend shifted impatiently in her seat. When she realised that I was more interested in stemming the river from my nose than continuing the conversation, she wriggled forward, pressing her palms against the table's smooth glass surface. "Why don't you tell her? Maybe she feels the same?"

"She doesn't feel the same."

"But I thought you said she ki—"

"Stop," I interjected, my voice terser than I expected it to be. I slid further down the couch till I was lying flat, and draped my forearm over my eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you."

Despite rudely cutting off Haruka's words, my head again swam with memories of what happened that night at Natsuki's place. I was shocked, to say the least, when the girl grabbed my collar. But it didn't end there.

The moment our lips touched, my mind went blank. We had then broken apart, only for me to see her gazing up at me through heavy-lidded eyes, with her mouth slightly parted and her breathing erratic. She must have opened a Pandora box of sorts, because the next thing I knew we were engulfed in another kiss, one that was longer, deeper and far more fervent.

I don't want to go into the details, but our, umm, _activities_ meant that we were getting increasingly tangled in the sheets. Whilst this may seem like a sexy notion, it's quite a different matter when you're at risk of being accidentally mummified. At last I detached myself from her to get the blanket (i.e. potential choking hazard) out of the way, but when I lowered my gaze I realised something else.

She had fallen asleep.

Of course, it was at this time that reality hit me like speeding monster truck. To cut the long story short, I had immediately shot up from the bed, but as my leg was caught within the sheets, I ended up stumbling and stubbing my toe against a nearby lamp. There was then some hopping around on my other foot while I cursed in a strangled voice, before I tripped on god-knows-what and landed face first on the bed again next to Ice Maiden. This left me so flustered that I scrambled to the attached bathroom and did the first thing that came to me, that was, sticking my head under the shower until the cold water numbed the tingling sensation in my skin.

It had taken me some time to cool down (literally), but I still didn't trust myself being in the same room as Natsuki. So I stayed in the bathroom in my half-soaked clothes, eventually dozing off. When I walked out of her apartment in a zombie-like state, dawn was already breaking. Unsurprisingly, I came down with a bad cold soon thereafter.

Which brings me back to my conversation with my best friend.

Haruka frowned. "Shizuru…"

"She also said that my foot was squishy," I countered dryly.

The blonde sucked in a deep breath. "But—"

"_No_, Haruka. What is the point? Whether I like her, whether she likes me… The fact is, we can't be together."

"I have to get back to my studies, and Natsuki has her career. If there are any rumors about us…her career will be destroyed."

Natsuki's career. All the effort she had put in. How long had it taken for her mother to give her blessings?

"This is…for the best." I tilted my head up to meet Haruka's eyes. It was the first time I had seen such an anguished look on her face, and I wondered if her expression mirrored mine. Her mouth opened and closed rigidly, as if she desperately wanted to say something, but no words came. In the end she shook her head and sighed.

And with her lack of rebuttal, the last flicker of hope died in me.

I bit my lip as I got up from the couch. "Well, don't worry about me," I said as I tried to flash her a smile, "I'd better go pack my luggage."

Just as I was about to walk away, however, a beep sounded. Instinctively I glanced at the coffee table, and saw that the small LED screen on my phone had lit up. I bent down and flipped the phone open.

_You still owe me a wish_.

The sun was halfway across the sky when I appeared outside Natsuki's apartment, all fidgety. Although she had not contacted me since that night, I frequently obsessed over whether she knew what happened. From what I could tell she had slept through the whole fracas, proving that it was not only possible for a person to fall asleep while standing, but also remain asleep even when the sky was falling. Even then, one could only guess, right?

While the part of me that was guilty about what happened prayed that she had forgotten, a small part of me wished that she was fully aware of it. I didn't want to think about that though. Because I knew that deep inside, I was frightened. I was afraid that that she didn't feel the same way, that if I tried to let her know how I felt I would be rejected. I mean, if she felt the same, surely she would have tried to say something to me as well? But there was nothing so far, other than a drunken kiss (okay a _few _drunken kisses) that I couldn't even take seriously.

After much pacing up and down the corridor that was threatening to wear out my sneakers, I stopped in front of the door and lifted my hand to knock. My fist was inches away from the wood when it suddenly swung open.

"Na—Natsuki?" I stammered.

The girl was clad in an oversized t-shirt, which almost hid the blue shorts she wore below. She held my gaze for a fleeting second before looking away, just enough for me to notice the dark circles below her eyes.

"Come in," she murmured.

I stepped warily into her apartment, my heartbeat racing as I pondered what I had gotten myself into. I thought I was ready, but the sight of her had reignited all sorts of mixed feelings and... impulses. She settled quietly on the couch, and I decided to opt for the one opposite rather than beside her. It wouldn't be nice to die of a heart attack in her house now, would it?

"So…" I mumbled while squirming restlessly in my seat, not daring to look her in the eye. Does she remember anything at all? "What's up?"

Shortly after receiving that cryptic text message from Natsuki, I had gotten another one asking that I meet her at her place. She explained that it would be difficult for her to get out of the house, and I could totally see why. The area surrounding the apartment complex was teeming with reporters when I arrived. It was solely because the security guards recognized me as her (ex) personal assistant that I was allowed entry through a hidden gate. Clearly Ice Maiden's fame has gone up a few notches with her recent win at the awards.

"Mmm…"

The girl crossed her legs in front of me, and I blocked out the unwanted thoughts before they even had the chance to materialize. This was getting too frustrating, in _all _ways. I swallowed thickly, making up my mind to be brave and look her in the face – only to see that she was staring out of the window.

"Thanks…for getting me home that day."

She remembers? ! My heart started thumping so loudly, it was as if my insides were having a rave party. I rubbed my sweaty palms against my lap nervously. "No—umm—no problem. How did you know…?"

"I don't remember what happened, but Yamada told me you sent me home."

"Oh." My heart fell, though I consoled myself that I should be lucky she couldn't recall the incident, as otherwise she would be furious.

Or would she?

"Although…" Natsuki's voice rang out again, disrupting the never-ending debate in my head. I watched apprehensively as she continued to gaze out of the window, her emerald eyes darkening as she seemed to recollect something. Are her cheeks turning pink?

Is she thinking what I'm thinking? Which is what I think she is thinking?

"Never mind," she suddenly snapped.

A short pause.

"You… didn't come for the awards show."

My eyes widened. Is that a question or a statement?

She went on, more softly this time. "I was looking for you, but you weren't there."

I blinked a few times, and barely opened my mouth to reply when she spun around and looked at me square in the eyes, giving me a startle.

"You still owe me a wish. I want it now."

"Huh?" I gawked at her, taken aback by yet another twist in the conversation. It appears that Natsuki also shared her mother's trait of switching topics like an F1 driver switches gears.

"I want you to cook for me."

My jaw dropped. "Pardon? You want me to what?"

"Cook for me, you know, make food?" She started gesturing with her hands, as if she was trying to explain the concept to a Martian.

"I got that," I answered dully, "but why?"

"Must there be a reason?" Ice Maiden retorted as she fell back against the couch and shrugged nonchalantly. "It's up to me what I wish for, right?"

"Yes, yes, princess…"

She seemed to smile at the use of my old nickname for her.

"What do you want to eat? I'm warning you, though I cook for myself from time to time, I'm not exactly a great cook."

Natsuki hummed thoughtfully. "What's your favourite food?"

"My favourite food?" Furrowing my brows, I considered the question. "Uh, I don't know…I quite like risotto?"

"Ree-so-toe it is then."

My jaw dropped for the second time that day, much to my chagrin. It was already a miracle that the medicine was working and my nose had stopped dribbling; I wasn't in the least interested in visiting the doctor again for a dislocated jaw.

"But—but—"

And she didn't even seem to know what I was referring to!

Ice Maiden leaned sideways, fishing out a familiar slip of paper from her shorts pocket and waving it in my face. "_My _wish."

"Fine, fine," I conceded defeat as I stood up from my seat. "I need to use your computer."

At the sight of her quizzical expression, I raised an eyebrow. "What, do I look like a cookbook to you?"

Some serious googling and a clandestine trip to the supermarket later, I was back with the ingredients needed to cook the dish. Luckily, Sakomizu happened to be in the area and could give me a ride to and fro the supermarket. I couldn't imagine how I was supposed to lug the heavy grocery bags up to Kuga Kingdom, much less get through the moat that was the paparazzi.

My temples were throbbing as I surveyed the vegetables and meat lying on top of the kitchen island. I took a deep breath. Okay, Shizuru, you can do it. Just follow the instructions, don't poison anyone and you'll be fine. Although the "don't poison" part might be a bit tricky.

The source of my headache grinned wickedly as she sat on the bar stool on the other side of the kitchen island, while I went around fumbling with the numerous drawers and cupboards. Honestly, what's with having enough space to rival a grocery store? After closing the cupboard door for the umpteenth time in my fruitless search for the pots and pans, I whirled around and narrowed my eyes at Natsuki. "If you're hoping to eat dinner and not breakfast, give me a hand with the cooking. Or at least tell me where the stuff is!"

She did not budge, and gave me an amused smirk.

I shot her a glare. "_Now._"

Finally her royal highness jumped off the bar stool and sauntered towards me. But I soon realised that there was a dangerous glint in her eyes that I had never seen before, and which reminded me of a leopard stalking its prey. In a flash she was within arm's reach, causing me to edge backwards and bump against the cupboard.

Alarm bells rang in my head and my mouth went dry. What is she trying to do?

"Natsuki—"

The girl ignored me and continued inching forward, so much so that I had to arch my back while my palms grasped the edges of the countertop tightly. She stared at me intently as she closed the distance, and for a moment it was as though the rest of the world had faded out. I could only see the brilliant hues dancing in her eyes and sense the blood rushing to my head.

Is she trying to…?

_Ohmygodohmygodohmygod_.

My heart is bursting. I'm going to die.

"Wh—what—" I managed to squeak as I squeezed my eyes shut.

The green stopped swirling. "It's right behind you," she said in a bored tone as she reached behind me and swung the cupboard door open, such that I had to frantically duck my head or risk creating a cutout of my profile in the wooden frame.

"Geez," I sputtered irritably as I straightened my back and tried to get my crazy heart rate back to normal. "Is this your idea of a joke?"

However, Natsuki was already walking away from me.

"Maybe," was all I heard as she rounded the corner to another part of the house.

And thus, the disgruntled one was left alone in the kitchen to cook. Halfway through I became aware that the girl had come out to the living room to play on her game console, but by this time I was too distracted by the fact that I had mistaken salt for sugar to care.

After much rinsing, cutting, mixing, stirring and furtive glances at the recipe I had printed out from the internet, I was finally done.

"Dinner's ready!"

"Shizuru presents…" I balanced the plates in my hand, and did a fancy twirl on the spot before laying them on the dining table "…Shizuruuuuu's Special!"

Well, the risotto looked kinda more brownish than what was shown in the picture from the internet. But I blamed the picture. Must be bad lighting.

Ice Maiden shuffled to the table and plopped ungraciously on a chair. Wordlessly, she picked up the spoon and scooped a portion.

"How is it?" I asked as I undid the knot of my apron.

She stuck out her tongue in disgust. "It's too salty!"

I smacked her on the head with the apron. "Just eat it, brat."

The girl glowered at me, but to my astonishment (and horror), scooped another portion from the plate.

"Hey, you don't really have to eat—" I started, but hesitated when I saw the look on her face. She was staring at the food with an expression I couldn't really describe. All I could think of was… "longing"? Is it natural to stare at food with "longing"? Guess my brains got fried together with the food.

With the solemnity of a person eating her last meal, Natsuki continued to devour the plate of risotto. I was dumbfounded as she swallowed one mouthful after the other, and eventually, I sat down opposite her and started eating.

The girl was right, the food was way too salty. But she was still shoveling the food into her mouth like it was the one meal that she had to eat no matter what. I began to worry that if she didn't have something wrong with her taste buds, she was going to have one now.

Before long, her plate was clean. I pushed my plate politely aside. It was barely half eaten.

She stared quietly at her lap for some time before speaking. "When are you leaving?"

This was actually the first time she was talking about my departure, and obviously it took me by surprise. I looked down as well. "This Friday."

"That's…fast."

"Yeah. The wedding is next week, and I need to help with the preparations."

"You're going back to school after that?"

I nodded somberly, even though I knew that she was probably not looking at me. "I'll be flying to London once the wedding is over."

"I… I won't be able to send you off at the airport."

I looked up.

"As you can see, it will be inconvenient—"

"Yes, I understand," I replied stiffly. It felt like a hole was opening inside me. "I guess this is goodbye then…"

Natsuki stayed silent.

I tried to lighten up the conversation. "Umm, I'm not sure if you have Facebook but do add me as a friend! Or I can 'like' your fan page or something. I'm sure you have one. And…and I'll write to you."

Deep in my heart I knew that it would be difficult. 9,600 kilometres. 8 hours time difference. Even with all the tools available nowadays, it was more likely than not that we will drift apart, further than we already were.

The girl inclined her head so slightly that I wasn't sure if that was considered a nod. "I'll go do the dishes," she said quietly as she stood up and took our plates to the kitchen.

I sat there in a daze as she did the dishes in the kitchen. It became clear to me that I couldn't just leave without telling her what I feel, or at least a bit of what I feel.

I climbed out of my seat slowly, and made my way into the kitchen. Natsuki continued to fix her gaze on her sink, her long dark hair shrouding her expression from me.

As I approached her from behind, my insides were in a knot and my hands were increasingly clammy. She probably sensed my approach as she ceased washing the dishes momentarily.

At that instant, I slipped my arms around her waist and pulled her close. I buried my face in the crook of her neck. She tensed up.

"I will miss you…" I breathed lightly as I shut off my mind, leaving the rest of my senses to do the work. Her soft hair, her smooth skin, her scent, her warmth. I want to remember everything.

At last I broke away, my mind fuzzy from the earlier contact. But she did not respond. She did not turn around, not even when I walked out of the kitchen and out of her apartment, out of her life.

Later that night, I was back outside Haruka's apartment. I was grappling with the lock when the door opened, revealing my best friend. A worried look appeared on her face as she observed me.

I remained impassive as I stepped past Haruka into the house.

"Shizuru…" Haruka grabbed my hand gently and turned me around. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…" I muttered weakly, trying my best to fight against the dam that was threatening to break. The next moment, I found myself in a strong hug.

And the tears began to fall.

* * *

><p>It is a strange thing, what your mood does to you. Objectively speaking I could tell that it was a bright and sunny morning, when the air was fresh and the birds were singing, but I registered none of it. Instead I felt as though I was in the middle of a tornado. My senses were dulled, and while everything seemed to move so fast around me, time had stopped for me. You could have a unicorn prancing over a rainbow and I would still feel like the world was crumbling.<p>

The wheels of my luggage rumbled noisily as I dragged it towards the check-in counter. What happened thereafter I wasn't sure, but the next thing I knew I was striding away from the counter, with my boarding pass in hand. I went in the direction of the boarding area, where Haruka and Yukino were waiting for me… along with more than half a dozen other people?

"Shizuru!" Midori was jumping up and down, frenziedly waving her hands as if I couldn't spot them. I nearly rolled my eyes. I was just five metres away from her, for goodness sake.

"Hey Midori," I greeted her with a small smile and looked around at the others. Besides Haruka and Yukino, there were Erstin, Irina, Mai, Mikoto, Reito, Tomoe and even Nao, though it was initially a little hard recognizing her with her enormous shades and shawl covering her head.

"Hey everyone. Thanks for sending me off."

Erstin was the first to come forward with Irina. "Take care, Shizuru." She looked like she wanted to say something else, but tears welled up in her eyes.

"We will miss you," Irina added, putting her arm around Erstin's shoulder to comfort her. "Keep in touch, okay?"

I patted Erstin's back and drew both of them into a hug. "Thanks guys…"

Before I could extract myself fully from Erstin and Irina, I was roughly dragged into another hug. "It was an honour knowing you. Fare thee well, Shizuru!" Midori exclaimed melodramatically.

"Please don't tell me you're quoting Shakespeare or something," I chuckled as I allowed the woman to hold me in a tight squeeze. "But yes, it has been good knowing you."

I pulled myself away from the manager and eyed her sternly. "Take good care of yourself, alright? And don't drink too much. It's not the end of the world."

Feeling a nudge against my back, I turned to see Mai standing behind me. "Don't you worry about her," she said lightly, "her professor has come back to Japan."

I gaped. "Really?"

"Yeeeaaappp!" Midori replied gleefully.

I smiled and shook my head. Oh well, at least somebody has a happy ending.

"Take care, Shizuru." Mai gave me a hug too.

"Thanks Mai," I said sincerely, "for your ramen…for everything."

"Shizuruuu…" On hearing that voice, I looked down. Mikoto was clinging on tightly to my side, and I had to swallow the lump that had risen in my throat.

"Be good, Mikoto." I ruffled her hair fondly. "When you're older, come visit me in London, okay?"

For once, cat girl nodded and released me without needing a third party to pry her off, and sought solace in Mai's waiting arms.

I tilted my head to peer at Nao. She removed her shades, her eyes glimmering with mischief as usual. "Unlike _someone_," she declared contemptuously with a dramatic wave of her hand, "I'm not an award winner and therefore can send you off at the airport."

I couldn't help but grin, and two of us shared an embrace. "Not many people can say that they have hugged a superstar like me. Don't you dare forget about me," she said.

"I won't." My grin broadened into a big smile.

Next up was the only male member of my entourage. "Take good care of yourself, old buddy," he said with a slightly shaky voice as he hugged me tightly, "I will see you again soon."

I patted him lightly on the back. "You too, Reito."

"Be sure to introduce him to me next time." I gave him a wink and the old Rad flushed.

I glanced at the departures board; they were boarding my flight. Despite myself, I looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of dark hair, but I was sorely disappointed. Unlike those television dramas, there wasn't anyone racing through the airport, intending to declare their love. She was really not coming.

I sighed.

Turning back to the last three members of the group, I quirked an eyebrow at my cousin. "I'll see you at the wedding?"

Tomoe gave me a mock resigned smile. "It'll be better than that. I'll see you on Sunday. My flight's tomorrow."

"Good girl."

I gave Yukino a warm smile and drew her into a hug. "It was great knowing you, Yukino. Take care of Haruka for me."

The bespectacled girl responded with a shy nod of her head. "I will. I hope to see you again soon."

There was a sniffling sound, and I turned to see my best friend trying to maintain the most stoic expression possible. It would have worked if not for the fact that her nose was leaking like a faulty tap and her lips were quivering.

"Aww, Haruka," I said as I held her tightly.

"I—I'm not—" she tried to retort but ended up choking. In the end she gave up, bursting into a loud sob that caused the passersby to glance in our direction.

"I'm not breaking up with you, so don't cry," I said blithely as I patted her back.

My best friend immediately tore herself from my embrace and smacked me on the arm.

"Oww! That hurts!"

"Serves you right, Fujino," Haruka harrumphed. She hastily wiped the wet streaks from her face with the back of her hand. "You'd better take good care of yourself, or I'll fly over to London to whip your ass!"

"I didn't know you were into S&M, darling," I said with a serious face and had to take a quick step backwards as Haruka tried to smack me again. "Kidding, kidding!" That woman really has violent tendencies.

An announcement sounded in the background and I checked my watch. It was the final call for my flight.

I peered around one last time, holding out for the last strand of hope that the person I wanted to see the most would appear. But once again, I was disappointed.

How many times can you be disappointed before your heart hits rock bottom?

I bent down and picked up my duffel bag. "Well, I have to go now. Thanks again everyone. Take care, and I hope to see you again."

There was a murmur of "take cares" and "goodbyes" while I turned around to face the entrance into the boarding area. My legs felt like lead as I stepped forward and passed my passport to one of the guards at the gate.

"Shizuru!"

I looked up.

"SHIZURU!"

I spun around to see a mass of dark hair.

"Na—Chi…e?"

"Shi—Shizuru." The photographer was bending forward and panting heavily, with her hands at her hips. "Thank—thank goodness."

She took a deep breath, and finally stood upright, swinging her sling bag to the side and extracting a small package from it. She handed it to me. "This is for you."

My brows were tightly furrowed as I accepted the package. "What is…?"

"It's from Kuga-san. I thought they were great, but she refused to have them published, and instead asked me to give them to you."

I grew even more perplexed. "What—"

I didn't have time to ask further, however, as there was another announcement and this time, with my _name_ included.

Oh boy.

"I have to go," I said as I quickly picked up my bag once more. "Thanks so much, Chie. Take care!" I gave a quick wave to the rest of the group, and jogged towards the boarding gates.

"Take care! And remember, if you're ever interested in modeling, my offer still stands!"

I chuckled as I continued on my way past customs, never once looking back.

* * *

><p>Rays of sunlight shone into the plane as I sat at the window seat. The sky outside was a brilliant blue, and the wisps of clouds drifted by endlessly. I unbuckled my seatbelt and reached forward, rummaging in my duffel bag and retrieving the brown package Chie had passed to me.<p>

I poured the contents out, and my eyebrows rose. Photos?

It was a stack of photos from Natsuki's photoshoot. I almost smacked my forehead. Geez, she doesn't appear at the airport, but sends a stack of photos of herself to me? Narcissistic much?

While I flipped through the photos, however, a small note fell out onto my lap. I gingerly picked up the note, and as I read the tidy words on it, I felt my eyes getting wet…

_These photos belong to you. Because I can smile like this only when I'm with you._

* * *

><p>AN: Sometimes the simplest things are also the most complicated.

This is the last chapter of the final arc. Stay tuned for the epilogue.


	19. Epilogue

A/N: For all the things we never said.

* * *

><p><strong><strong><strong><strong>Disclaimer: Mai Hime, Mai Otome and all their characters belong to Sunrise.<strong>******

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 19: Epilogue<strong>

"Uhhh… Nope," I mumbled as I tore the paper off the writing pad, scrunching it up into a tight ball and throwing it carelessly aside. My fingers reached for my pen again, while I moved to sit cross-legged on the chair and tucked my feet underneath my thighs.

The winter this year… feels especially cold.

A quick twirl of the pen around my digits, and I went back to staring at the writing pad before me, my mind as blank as the paper was. As the seconds ticked by, I resisted the urge to muss up my hair in frustration.

I don't know what to say. After all this time, I still don't know what to say.

After chewing nervously on the pen for another good minute or so, I decided to give up. With a loud groan, I fell back against the chair, catching a glimpse of the calendar on my desk in the process.

20th of December 2012. Depending on how you see it, it is either one day to the end of the world, five days to Christmas, or… one year, three months and 11 days since I left Tokyo.

Thinking back, everything seems so surreal.

It felt like a dream even then, considering how I was practically stuck in a daze for the first few days that followed my return to California. Thankfully, my aunt's wedding went well, and my mother was more than pleased that I was able to persuade Tomoe to attend. At the very least, it kept the woman from badgering me on every living thing I met in Japan.

Shortly after the celebrations were over, I travelled back to London to start my new semester at college. Little did I expect, that was also the beginning of what I call "Welcome to Hell".

I had hoped that school would provide a welcome distraction from my distracting thoughts, and my wish was granted because I soon found myself buried in work and surviving on caffeine. Amazingly enough, though, all the sleep deprivation could not stop me from compulsively checking the internet at all hours for any news (or more accurately, gossip) on a certain idol on the other side of the world. Indeed, according to several eyewitnesses, after a particularly grueling two weeks of working on some drawing plans I had stood up in the middle of class, solemnly proclaimed, "must…google…" before promptly zonking out in my chair. And apparently, this incident is still widely cited as one of the fine examples of how architecture school drives you crazy.

But I digress.

The point is, based on whatever I could find on the world wide web, it was obvious that Ice Maiden was getting more successful by the day. She swept more awards, acted in more movies, and even recorded an English album to launch her career in the US. I was genuinely happy for her.

Nevertheless, along with her rise in stardom also came an increasing deluge of sensational rumors about her love life. Surfing the net thus became a sadomasochistic habit – I wanted to know, but at the same time I didn't want to _know_. Just three months ago, I read that she was involved in yet another scandal with an actor she was working with.

I had slammed my laptop shut faster than you can say "eeks".

Despite my best efforts not to do so, my mind often wondered about where she was, what she was doing and whether she was well. But no matter how much googling I did, and how many articles I read, the curiousity in me could not be sated. In the end I realised that I wasn't actually interested in all these. No, I wanted to know _who she was with, what she was thinking about _and_ whether she was happy without me_.And that, unfortunately, was beyond the expertise of the internet god.

Now, you might say, why don't I just talk to her? Well guess what, I have been meaning to write to her; I just haven't figured out what to say. If you haven't noticed, that is the reason why I've been crumpling balls of paper and tossing them across the room.

It is probably a mistake trying to write to Natsuki using pen and paper. I had decided to do so because I thought that would be more, err, _romantic_, but looking at the overflowing wastepaper basket in the corner of the room, I think I should have stuck to typing instead. It's almost certain that I would be reincarnated in my next life as a tree.

Speaking of which, if I do not want an early demise I'd better get dressed, because otherwise I'll be—

I glanced at the clock on the wall.

LATE.

Holy crap!

I seized the pen once more and, after ruffling my fringe in annoyance, scribbled intently on the writing pad. I then folded the paper as neatly as I could in my frantic state and stuffed it into an envelope, which was in turn dropped into my leather satchel.

Seven minutes later, I was half-walking and half-running along the streets of London. My rapid breaths appeared as little white puffs in the chilly air, while the satchel and drawing tube I had slung across my shoulders bounced with each step I took. All that physical activity and the coat and boots I was wearing, however, could not keep me warm, and I had also wrapped a maroon scarf around my neck.

Before long, I reached a traffic junction. But instead of heading straight, I made a right turn into a small lane. I stopped in front of a bright red letterbox and opened my satchel to retrieve the envelope. As I reached forward to place the envelope at the slot, my hand started shaking.

I hesitated.

Is there any point in writing to her now?

Maybe I shouldn't disturb her life.

Maybe…

It's time for me to let go.

At last, I withdrew my hand and put the letter back in my satchel.

Damn it.

Any morose thoughts that followed, nonetheless, were cut short by another glance to my watch. It was 9.42 am.

Yikes!

I quickly spun around and headed towards the traffic junction and in the direction I should have originally went. After what seemed like the longest sprint in my life, I spotted the familiar stretch of white and grey buildings in the distance. Hanging on tightly to my bag and drawing tube, I sped across the square, into the building, up the flight of steps…

And ran headlong into the one woman (other than my mother) that could freeze me with just one look.

"Oh, pardon me," I started, when I lifted my gaze. I gulped. "Good—good morning, Miss Graceburt."

The silver-haired woman's brows were tightly furrowed as she glowered at me. "Good morning, Shizuru. I assume you remember that we were supposed to meet at nine forty-five?"

"Yes. I'm very sorry that I'm late, Miss Graceburt." I tried not to squeak.

Her eyebrow twitched, but she whirled around and stepped back into the room. I heaved a sigh of relief as I hastily followed. I'm probably one of the few lucky knights who have not been roasted by Dragon Maria.

For those of you who are wondering, Maria Graceburt, also known as "Dragon Maria", "Maria the Bombshell" and "All Hail Maria", is my tutor. She's an extremely prolific architect; hence students are always clamouring for her to be their tutor despite her less-than-nice reputation. I count myself blessed that she had decided to pick me, and I think she actually likes me quite a bit, despite that fierce front.

"Show me your drawings," she said grimly as she settled on the armchair. I immediately took off my drawing tube, removed the cover, and extracted a few sheets of A3 paper which I unrolled in front of her. I had spent the last few weeks reworking my drawings by hand and on the computer, based on our previous discussions.

"Hmm…" Maria hummed as she considered the drawings, and I unconsciously held my breath.

Good?

"Explain it to me."

Phew.

"Ah, yes, I thought about it again," I said as I glided my hand across the paper, pointing out various spots, "I think that the flow will be much better if the structure goes this way…"

* * *

><p>"Shizuru?"<p>

"Shizuru!"

"Hu—h?" I sputtered as I snapped out of my trance, "sorry, Miss Graceburt?"

"Were you listening to me?"

"I—umm—I'm sorry," I replied as I stared guiltily at the table. Having explained my ideas to her, we had embarked on a detailed discussion on how we could further refine them. Somewhere along the way, however, my conscious faded out and into another topic.

Natsuki.

Maria exhaled heavily and leaned back against the chair, tapping her pencil on the table. "What's the matter with you, Shizuru?"

I looked up at once. "Nothing's the matter."

"Are you sure?" She quirked an eyebrow, and to my surprise, sat forward and spoke in a much gentler tone. "I have been your tutor for almost two years now, Shizuru. While I can't say that your work has fallen into the pits, you seem a lot more… _unfocused_, these days."

My gaze fell back to the table, and I stayed silent.

"You do know that crit is coming up soon, right?"

I nodded mutely.

"Well, you have to remember that the other examiners are not going to be merciful to you. And you deserve much better than a mediocre grade."

"I think we should stop here for today," Maria added as she stood up from her seat. "Go back and have a good think about what I've said, at least what you've _actually heard_, and schedule another meeting with me in a week's time."

"Yes, Miss Graceburt. Thank you."

The tutor gave me a disapproving shake of her head and left the room, leaving me in an even worse mood than before. But she was right. At this rate, I'm going to have a big problem getting into the Master's programme next year.

I got up slowly as well, and started packing my bag. Halfway through, my phone rang. Or should I say, my new phone rang.

"Hello?" I answered the phone by wedging it between my ear and shoulder, while my hands were busy trying to shove the A3 sheets back into the drawing tube where they belonged.

"SHIZURU!"

Since I was trapped in a rather inconvenient position, I could only wince as the sound rattled my eardrum and threatened to turn my brains to mush. "Haruka? Why on earth are you shouting?"

"I should be the one asking, where on earth were you these couple of days? I couldn't call through at all! I thought something happened to you!"

I sighed as I raised my hand to hold the phone. "Sorry, Haruka. My phone fell into my soup while I was eating and drowned. I only got it replaced last night." I decided to leave out the part that the poor device had dropped into the soup because – you guessed it – I was distracted by my thoughts of Natsuki. I didn't want my best friend to start hollering at me again.

"But you weren't answering your emails too!"

I smacked my forehead. "Oh yes, I forgot to tell you that I moved out a few weeks ago. The building I was renting in caught fire and I had to move out. The landlord was nice enough to arrange for me stay temporarily at another place near school, but I haven't gotten the internet hooked up yet."

Given all the work I was saddled with, it was a pain having to move to another apartment. The benefit of not having an internet connection, though, was that I could finally kick my habit of tracking Natsuki's news.

"And why didn't you tell me? Or your parents? Your mom was worried sick!" My best friend continued to admonish me over the phone.

"Umm, I didn't want to bother you guys… and later I got so busy I forgot…" I gave a sheepish laugh, hoping to appease the boiling blonde on the other side of the line. "I'm sorry. Please don't be angry with me?"

A mere "hmpf", was the response I got.

"Pretty please? Pretty, pretty please?"

"Good grief!" Haruka declared, but her voice was no longer as harsh as before. "I'm glad that you're safe and sound. How was your birthday celebration yesterday?"

I grimaced. "Eh… It was… _Interesting_…"

"You were out with Lena, Elliot and gang again, weren't you? Wait, don't tell me, I don't want to know."

I chuckled as I closed the buckle on my satchel and swung the strap on my shoulder. Haruka has never approved of those girls she called "delinquents". Not that I disagreed with the label.

Striding out of the room and down the corridor, I suddenly recalled something. "Oh, I received your present."

The blonde gave a nervous cough. "So, do you like it?"

"Mmm, it's…"

"It's?"

"It's…"

She was probably wringing her hands anxiously as she awaited my answer.

"It's what? It's what?"

"It's… square and brown."

A few moments passed while Haruka processed my words. I quickly pulled the phone away from my ear.

"OF COURSE IT'S SQUARE AND BROWN! IT WAS IN A BOX!"

"I'm asking you, whether you _liked _it!"

I was laughing so hard as I trooped down the steps that I feared I was going to do a humpty dumpty-had-a-great-fall thing. I paused to catch my breath. "I love it, Haruka. You're very sweet."

"Well... as long as you like it…" the blonde grudgingly replied. I could hear her grumbling under her breath about how I always had to make things difficult.

"Anyway," she spoke again, "I've been trying to call you because I need to tell you something important."

"Such as?" I adjusted the bag strap on my shoulder, before pushing the door open and exiting the building. There was still some time before lunch, hence the square was rather deserted, and I seemed to be the only one around.

Or… not.

"Have you been following the news?" Haruka asked excitedly.

"Not really…" I murmured. There was a lone figure standing beside one of the lampposts. I squinted, trying to make out who that person was.

As I went forward, my heart rate sped up, while my pace slowed.

"You won't believe it! They say that the Ice Princess is no longer in Japan!"

"They say, they say—"

I halted in my steps.

"They say she has decided to move to London."

There she was, standing in the winter chill, her arms wrapped tightly around her as she bounced lightly on her feet. Her head turned this way and that, as if she was searching for someone.

I was dumbstruck. I didn't even realize that I had lowered the arm holding the phone to my side, or the fact that Haruka was still yammering on the phone.

"Apparently, she's taking a year off to do theatre studies… Hello? Shizuru? Are you there?"

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as she finally turned to face my direction. My mouth felt dry.

Yes, I'm here. And so is she.

The two of us remained stock still, staring at each other. When my initial shock wore off, I noticed that her dark hair had grown longer, reaching almost the waistline of her black toggle coat, and her ivory skin had gotten even paler. Other than that, she looked just as I remembered. Icy, proud… and beautiful.

Blinking several times to make sure that I wasn't hallucinating, I swallowed thickly, and opened my mouth to speak. "Natsuki, what a surp—"

"_You_."

Before I could react, she was stomping towards me. As she got closer, it dawned on me that the expression on her face was not happiness, or even sadness, but anger. _Pure _anger.

"You—you liar!"

My eyes had grown wide by now and I was actually staggering backwards. "What—"

Too many times I had imagined how it could be like if she reappeared in front of me, but of all the dramatic scenarios I had conjured, this was _not _one of them.

Just as I was struggling to understand what I had done to earn her wrath and why I looked like I was fleeing for my life, she stopped her advance. Her eyes, though, continued to flash dangerously. "You said that you'll write to me."

"You said that you'll write to me, but you never did."

At the back of my head, I recalled what I had said to her during my last goodbye. Her accusing tone, nevertheless, touched a raw nerve in me. At that instant, it was as if the wall holding back my emotions broke, and all my doubts, insecurities and frustrations started spewing out at once.

"What th— And how am I supposed to know whether to contact you, when you didn't even bother sending me off at the airport?" I retorted.

She looked stunned for a moment, but soon resumed her battle stance. "I told you, it would be inconvenient—"

I didn't let her finish the sentence.

"What am I supposed to think, when the only thing you did was to leave me some photographs?" With a note that seemed to say everything, yet nothing at all?

"Wh—what does it matter?" she shot back at me. "The fact is, you made a promise and you didn't keep it."

I clenched my jaw; I wanted to scream. Am I the only one who finds it ridiculous that after more than a year of separation, the first thing she does is to confront me about not writing to her? Why is she so hung up over this anyway?

What does she actually mean?

I was tired of obsessing about her. For the entire year I have been guessing and second-guessing, revisiting every memory again and again and trying to interpret her every word, trying to read between the lines, trying to find a sign.

I had enough.

"Fine! You know what? I didn't write to you because I didn't want to," I spat, the spiteful words leaving my lips even as I felt sick to the stomach.

The girl let out a growl, and pushed me so hard that I stumbled and fell. My satchel went down with me, causing the items inside to spill out.

Natsuki appeared stricken as she rushed forward to help me up, but I stubbornly refused her hand. She then turned, and noticed the envelope with her name on the ground.

"No, don't!" I shouted, but she had already snatched the letter away and tore it open. I watched with trepidation as she carefully unfolded the letter, her gaze running over the words. At last, she mouthed the last sentence I knew too well.

_I think, I left my heart with you in Tokyo_.

I have never felt so vulnerable in my life.

She kept her head bowed, hence I could not see the expression on her face. When she eventually spoke, her husky voice was so low it was almost a whisper. "And how do you think I feel?"

"How do you think I feel, when you left? When I kept waiting for you to contact me but you never did?"

No answer.

"Do you…do you know how difficult it was for me to find you?" Her voice cracked.

I was stumped. I never gave her my address or my contact number in London. I never even told her where exactly in London I was studying. How she managed to find me, I don't know.

My eyes widened in realisation. "How long have you—"

In my distress, I was blind to the fact that her skin was so pale not just from the lack of sun; that she was trembling so hard not merely because she was agitated.

She must have waited at the square for a very long time. Perhaps for a number of days, given that I didn't have fixed classes and went to school only occasionally to meet my tutors.

"I—"

More importantly, she was upset because she had been waiting for a letter that never came. For something to assure her that I didn't vanish from her life altogether.

I was at loss for words.

"I'm sorry…" I eventually uttered, "I'm sorry for everything."

The tears started streaming down her face openly, and I also felt a lump rising in my throat.

"Idiot!" Natsuki cried as she wiped away the tears on her face angrily.

And then, I understood.

What I should have said, what she would have said, what we could have said.

There are certain things, which need not be spelt out in words.

I broke into a grin. "I'm an idiot."

Natsuki looks up at me, surprised.

In the next second, I finally managed to cross the short, but once seemingly unbridgeable distance between us. I wrapped my arms around her, my hands rubbing her back in a bid to warm her up and calm her down. The girl initially tensed up, but eventually relaxed into the embrace and buried her face in my shoulder.

Her ragged breathing gradually eased.

"You're my idiot," came the small muffled voice.

I paused. That's right, so much unnecessary doubts.

"I'm your idiot," I smiled broadly as I held her even more tightly.

* * *

><p><em>Sometimes, life takes you places that you didn't think you wanted to go.<em>

_Sometimes, you meet people that you never thought you'll need. _

_And sometimes, the ice-missiles-shooting stranger you meet will turn out to be just the one for you_.

At the sound of familiar footsteps, I hurriedly minimized my browser window.

"What are you doing?" Natsuki asked softly as she snaked her arms around my shoulders and nuzzled against my neck. "You've been typing non-stop on the laptop these days."

"Mmm, nothing much," I replied lightly, swiveling my chair around and resting my hands on her hips. "Just doing some writing. Why, are you upset that I haven't been spending enough time with you?"

The girl rolled her eyes, though the corners of her lips twitched upwards. "You think too highly of yourself. I'm just reminding you that it's time for dinner." Ignoring the protest that came in the form of a pout, she pulled away from me and strolled out of the room.

I chuckled. Oh, I'm so whipped.

I rose from my seat and stretched my stiff muscles. I then made my way into the living room, where Natsuki was already dressed in her black coat and matching boots, and waiting by the door. She handed my coat to me, and I obediently put it on.

"The story," Natsuki said as her fingers worked nimbly to button my coat, "what is it called?"

I huffed in amusement as I gazed into her inquisitive eyes which, in my humble opinion, shine brighter than the most brilliant gem in the world.

I should have known that she wouldn't let it go.

"Well, it's called…"

I leaned in to give her a gentle peck on the nose. As always, a pink tinge blossomed on her cheeks.

"Melting the Ice Maiden."

_THE END_

* * *

><p>AN: Wow. Wow wow wow. I can't believe that I actually, actually managed to finish this story. I've thought so many times about what to say for my last author's note, but now that I'm actually typing it out, my mind is kinda a blank...

All I can say is, it has been one crazy ride. When I wrote the first chapter, it was only meant to be a one-shot and a way for me to vent my frustrations. But then, my over-active imagination was plotting against me as usual and somehow or other I ended up churning out another 18 chapters of literary zaniness, and taking an additional year to do it (I had intended to complete it in Dec 2011).

This story accompanied me through some of the most dramatic highs and lows of my life, including moving to a foreign land (and the excitement and pains that came with it), such that I too find it surreal when looking back. And in that regard, thank you all for your encouraging reviews and PMs along the way. While I personally wanted to see this story to its end, there were times when it was really a struggle. Knowing there were other people out there who are interested in it kept me going.

I know I haven't been replying to your reviews and PMs, but I promise that I will this time. So if you have any thoughts, comments or questions (even about the author), please feel free to shoot! I've received an invite for a talkshow hosted by Natsuki and Shizuru, but I haven't decided whether to attend... Who knows, I might be able to answer your questions then ;)

I hope that you've enjoyed this story as much as I've enjoyed writing it. 'Til the next time... take care!

-zeitgeistx


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